Media Choices at Children's Hospitals

[Ponoma]

Thoughts from my ds outpatient surgery on Friday:

From in room Playstations to DVD choices, young patients
are offered many multi meida options to occupy their mindand time
while waiting and recovering from surgery.

What I couldn't understand when I browsed through the
tv listing, dvd choices and playstation games is the number
that were perhaps too scary or intense for children about
to undergo medical proceudres. At least none of the
games were shoot em types. And who really wants to
watch a Disney Villian Video (no kidding).

I would much rather snuggle with my child in my llap if
possible and cuddle them before surgery rather than leaving
them to zone out to a video or intense playstation game.

If I had a small grant I would want to do a survey study of the top
100 children's hospitals and see if the content offered was
violent or not appropriate for children.
Thinking of doing this without a small grant anyway.......
hey mothering - interested in an article? chuckle...

Oh and the book selection just s -t-u-n-k
Titles too old and not age appropriate for the children.
And no Spanish titles available in anything, movies, games,
books much to the dismay of a little Latino boy the next room over.

What do you think of all this?

[stik]

According to an article I saw floating around in late 2004, a recent study showed that zoning out to a video or video game prior to surgery reduced signs of anxiety in children preparing to undergo surgery. To the extent that some hospitals now make gameboys available for children to use until they pass out from the anesthesia.

I would guess that the hospital has but one batch of media-type-stuff available to its pediatric patients, even though their patients vary wildly in age, interests, ability to understand and appreciate various materials, and language of preference. It sounds to me like an effort is being made, but there's a lot of room for improvement. Could be a funding issue. Could be complete stupidity.

[UnschoolnMa]

We have found the media selection in medical centers/hospitals to be appropriate. But then we have no issues with Play Station, or Disney movies. It can really help some children to focus on something like that in an emotionally charged or unsure time, IMO. You can always bring books or card games/travel games from home too... we did that as well.

[Ponoma]

I accept the fact in hospitals there are tv, video, or playstation games available to those families (note - not children, but families) who choose to use it. Our family's choices are obviously not, nor ment to be a value judgement on anyone elses.

I personally would be interested in reading the scientific literature that shows how the brain is effected by media input before surgery. I was surveying
the list to see what was available as a way of choices. Why even make offerings that are violent, scary, intense? Yes your child may watch
that at home, but why can't some one say that x video may be too intense
to watch right now, or y game isn;t appropriate all the time?

Doesn't human touch, contact, even the warmth and smell of ones parents
holding you and reading to you or singing to effect the brain before surgery too?

I would flabbergasted if a child were to say, Mommy Daddy, please
don't hold my hand I would rather hold the remote or game controller?

Let me get the list from the hospital and post it. You may be suprised
at the choices.

[stik]

I think sometimes it's easy to assume that all families function well, or at least function in a way that supports children, in times of stress.

However, I can think of many situations in which a family needs help and distractions to support a child through an experience like surgery. Some families might be most comfortable using the media available to try to approximate normalcy. (If the kids usually watch some TV in the morning, for example, a family might want to cling to that part of their normal routine even if one child is being prepped for surgery.)

Also, some parents have difficulty helping their kids in those situations, because they are so fearful of those situations themselves. My dh has been well aware from an early age that his own mom was NOT the best person to have around in a stressful situation, even though she's a nurse. When her own family is affected she has extreme difficulty controlling her own anxiety, let alone helping someone else control theirs.

[acrathbun]

as someone who has had children spend literally months in children's hospitals, I can tell you that a lot of that media stuff might not be needed by families there for day surgeries/short stays. They are helpful, however, for those of us whose children like to "live" there

[owensmom]

My husband sent me that article in December, but the link is gone now (Yahoo News). I think it depends on the child, some may not want to "give in" to holding a parents hand or being cuddled, because it may bring to the surface the fears they are having, especially when the hospital makes you get there at 5am and you have to wait 2+ hours for surgery. I'm sure tuning out on a game of some kind can help pass the time without having their anxiety raise with each passing moment.

I'm also surprised the hospital provided stuff! That is amazing in and off itself. Owen had some dental surgery, and all we got was a bed with a steering wheel attached.

[lorijds]

Alot of those sort of items are either donations (you take what you can get oftentimes) or they are bought by the endowment association, often by a representative who has no children, or has adult children, and who has no idea of the technology or the content. At our local hospital's association, I know that the lady just went into the store and asked the salesperson what was popular with kids in a certain age group. So you can imagine what was bought.

On the flip side, alot of families have donated stuff to the hospital, movies and games that they would have liked to have seen.

Perhaps you can do that; or at least, write a letter to the department, and cc it to the CEO of the hospital and the hospital's endowment association. Don't just say that the videos, games, and books stunk; just point out the they were not appropriate for your family. Then suggest things that are. Be very specific; specific book titles, specific game titles, specific video titles.

As far as the literature/book selection goes, usually those are accumulated by donation; either donation from individuals and civic groups, donations from book clubs, or donations from corporations. Some publishers automatically send certain material to doctors offices and hospital, because they know their stuff will get read and people might buy it. Our birth center, because it is also our doc's pracitice, gets all sorts of free magazines (most which go right to the trash). Everything from InSight and People, to TV guide, Outdoor Life, and Auto Mechanics. All free and unsolicited. A couple of times a year we will get a box of 5-10 books from publishers, usually when a new title is coming out, that the publisher thinks would interest our clients; some are awesome; some stink (the What to Expect books......). These, too, are totally unsolicited.

At our same day surgery area, when my dd had her tonsils out, there wasn't crap for her to do. Luckily, being the disorganized mom that I am, I had several books and some coloring materials in my bottomless bag. But I thought it was kind of crummy there wasn't anything, other than the TV, for us to do while we waited.

Lori