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[Evaluation of a preoperative virtual tour for parents and children]
Jocelyne Tourigny1, Julie Chartrand
1Université d'Ottawa.
Insights
A virtual tour improved pediatric patients' knowledge before surgery. While helpful for preparation, the internet tool did not fully replace direct interaction for families.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare technology
- Patient education strategies
- Digital health interventions
Context:
- A Canadian pediatric center implemented a preoperative virtual tour on its website.
- The study evaluated the tour's utilization, efficacy, and usefulness.
- This intervention aimed to enhance patient and family preparation for surgery.
Purpose:
- To assess the effectiveness of a preoperative virtual tour in a pediatric setting.
- To measure changes in children's knowledge and anxiety levels.
- To understand the role of online tools in surgical preparation.
Summary:
- The virtual tour was used by 49.6% of 123 families.
- Children using the tour showed a significant increase in knowledge from pre-operation clinic to surgery day.
- Children not using the tour reported higher anxiety, though not significantly.
Impact:
- The internet is a valuable tool for family preparation but doesn't substitute direct interaction.
- Further research is needed to evaluate the impact on quality of care and child recovery.
- Findings suggest potential for digital tools to supplement traditional patient education methods.
Abstract:
A Canadian pediatric center has set a preoperative virtual tour on its website. This tour was evaluated by a descriptive study, in terms of utilization, efficacy and usefulness. The tour was utilized by 49.6% of the 123 families. Children of these families had a significant increase in knowledge from Time I (preop clinic) to Time 2 (day of surgery). Children and youth who did not use the tour reported themselves as more anxious the day of surgery but not significantly. There was no significant change in parents. The internet is a useful tool in families' preparation but cannot replace a direct interaction. Other researches are necessary in order to evaluate the impact of this type of preparation on the quality of care and on the child's recovery.
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