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Brief report: Evaluation of an interactive intervention designed to reduce pediatric distress during radiation
James L Klosky1, Vida L Tyc, Deo Kumar Srivastava
1Division of Behavioral Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, USA. James.Klosky@stjude.org
Insights
An interactive intervention significantly lowered heart rate (HR) in children undergoing radiation therapy (RT), indicating its potential to reduce distress. This approach offers a valuable tool for pediatric oncology settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Psychosocial Support
- Radiation Therapy
Background:
- Pediatric cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) often experience significant distress.
- Managing this distress is crucial for treatment adherence and overall well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of an interactive intervention in mitigating RT-related distress in pediatric patients.
- Key outcome measures included sedation, observed behavioral distress (OBD), and heart rate (HR).
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 79 children undergoing RT simulation.
- Participants were allocated to either an interactive intervention group (STARBRIGHT Hospital Pals) or a modified control group.
- The intervention comprised filmed modeling, an interactive character, and auditory distraction.
Main Results:
- The interactive intervention group demonstrated significantly lower heart rate (HR) compared to the control group.
- No statistically significant differences were observed in sedation levels or observed behavioral distress (OBD) between the groups.
Conclusions:
- The interactive intervention effectively reduced radiation therapy-related distress, as evidenced by heart rate reduction.
- This intervention shows promise as a beneficial tool within pediatric radiation oncology environments.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy of an interactive intervention in reducing distress related to radiation therapy (RT) among pediatric cancer participants as measured by occurrence of sedation, observed behavioral distress (OBD), and heart rate (HR).
Methods:
Seventy-nine children receiving RT simulation were assigned randomly to a STARBRIGHT Hospital Pals group (i.e., interactive intervention group; IG) or modified control group (MCG). The interactive intervention included filmed modeling, exposure to an interactive Barney character, and passive auditory distraction.
Results:
Children in the IG experienced significantly lower HR when compared with MCG participants. No differences were found in terms of sedation or OBD.
Conclusions:
The interactive intervention was effective at reducing RT-related distress (as measured by HR) and would be a useful tool in pediatric radiation oncology settings.
