Integrated Patient Entertainment: Positive Reaction to a Positive Distraction

At Children’s Medical Center Dallas its mission is straightforward: Making Life Better for Children. “That transcends just the clinical environment as many of our patients have afflictions that force Children’s to be their home away from home,” says Judson Orlando, director of the planning, design and construction for the hospital. “We have made it a commitment to provide patient and family services to look out for the greater well-being of each child.”

One of the notable ways that Children’s is providing that extra level of care is with a suite of entertainment amenities that includes an internal television network, the Red Balloon Network, which is broadcast into every inpatient and outpatient room on three campuses. Programming for the network includes live shows broadcast from the Seacrest Studios, an interactive space for patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and additional media providing opportunities for patients to learn, explore and play interactive games. Seacrest Studios, which is the result of a partnership between Children’s and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, also offers a performance stage, which serves as a venue for celebrities, artists and performers who visit Children’s Medical Center, as well as a courtyard for visitors to enjoy activities occurring inside of the studio.

“The studio is a hub of activity,” says Ben Retta, senior director of support services for Children’s. “The purpose is to uplift the spirits of the patients, families and staff. The programming has a positive impact and allows patients some normalcy while dealing with chronic illness. It gives us a unique opportunity to enhance the patient-family experience here at Children’s and to provide a virtual playroom for children.”

The Red Balloon Network and the Seacrest Studios are a natural fit with the philosophy of Children’s Child Life department. Director of Volunteer Services Susan Lakey explains, “Our Child Life department has a long-standing mission of enhancing the patient experience by promoting the understanding amongst all care providers that it is important to allow a child to continue their normal routine and development during hospitalization.”

After just over a year in operation the studio has received an overwhelmingly positive response from patients, families and staff. Patients incorporate the studio into their daily routine while hospitalized and often schedule outpatient visits to coincide with their favorite studio program.

“We have seen our patients use the studio as a way to distract them from the reality of their hospitalization, learn about how television and radio shows are produced, test their skills at broadcasting and, most of all, we have seen them use the studio to have fun and create long-lasting, positive memories with their families,” adds Lakey.

The hospital is taking advantage of entertainment technology in other ways as well. Recognized as a Most Wired Hospital, Children’s prides itself on its technological advancements. Typically those advancements relate to the direct care of the patient, but within the past few years Children’s has expanded its technological reach into the patient care environment.

“Starting in their rooms, patients have the ability to access gaming systems and now we have introduced the ability for these patients to interact with the studio via their TV,” notes Orlando.  “It is an experience that combines social media, telephone and television to create a separate brand that has become our Red Balloon Network. This network allows our patients an escape from the reason they are here as patients.”

Although the network is the most widely available amenity, Children’s works hard to meet all the needs of their patients, including the need for pediatric patients to play. There are multiple playrooms located throughout the hospital both in inpatient and outpatient areas where young patients escape their rooms to a place where they can play.

“We know that play is how children learn, explore and express their feelings. One of our playrooms is called The Zone, which was provided by Teammates for Kids, and hosts our adolescent-specific play area along with an adjacent area for younger patients,” says Retta. “It’s our most popular play area.”

A number of recent studies on the effects of positive distractions suggest that there are measurable health benefits, including better pain control and reduced anxiety, when patients experience positive distraction, with children benefiting especially from activity-oriented entertainment. Children’s dedication to finding engaging new formats for positive distraction and play appears to be good medicine, as well as good fun. Children’s was an active participant in Pati and Nanda’s 2011 research “Influence of Positive Distractions in Children in Two Clinic Waiting Areas” (Health Environments Research Design Journal, spring 2011).

Yet, the hospital has its eye on even more.

“Our vision for the future brings an integration with other studios around the country, whether it be The Zone at Cook Children’s in Fort Worth or the Seacrest Studios in Cincinnati,” says Orlando. “Children communicating with others with similar afflictions or challenges would be fantastic.”

Additional notable amenities:

• Family resource libraries (three)
• Multiple family lounges
• Multiple chapels and the Center for the Spirituality of Children (Godly Playroom)
• Multiple classroom and school services
• Trainscape (More than 1,000-square-foot model train exhibit)
• Healing garden
• Art collection displayed throughout the hospital
• Art and music studio

Editor’s Note: Stay tuned for our January/February issue of MCD, which puts the spotlight on patient entertainment.

Image courtesy of Children’s Medical Center Dallas.