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Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Semi-automated Optical Heartbeat Analysis of Small Hearts
Published on: September 16, 2009
The heart beads program
Kate Alexa Dengler1, Gabbie Scarfe, Sarah Redshaw
1Edgar Stephen Ward, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia. kated2@chw.edu.au
Insights
The Heart Beads Program uses unique beads to acknowledge children's cardiac condition journeys and procedures. This person-centered care approach aims to reduce stress and anxiety for pediatric patients during their hospital stays.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Child Psychology
- Healthcare Program Development
Background:
- Children with cardiac conditions face prolonged hospital stays and numerous procedures.
- These experiences can cause significant stress and anxiety due to limited understanding and control.
- A dedicated children's heart center aims to provide a consistent care experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the implementation of the Heart Beads Program.
- To enrich the hospital experience for children with cardiac conditions.
- To recognize and validate children's endurance through procedural milestones.
Main Methods:
- Development of the Heart Beads Program within a person-centered care framework.
- Distribution of distinctive beads for each procedure, treatment, or event.
- Collection of preliminary responses from staff, children, and families.
Main Results:
- The program was initiated to provide a tangible recognition of children's medical journeys.
- Preliminary feedback from staff, children, and families was gathered.
- The program aims to positively impact the psychosocial well-being of pediatric cardiac patients.
Conclusions:
- The Heart Beads Program offers a novel approach to person-centered care in pediatric cardiology.
- It provides a method for acknowledging and validating the challenging experiences of children undergoing cardiac treatments.
- Further evaluation is needed to assess the program's long-term impact on patient and family experiences.
Abstract:
From July 2008 through June 2009, 760 infants and children with cardiac conditions were admitted to a pediatric hospital in Australia with approximately 360 cardiac surgical procedures performed.This was the first experience in hospital for many of these children, with diagnoses signaling the beginning of a long and arduous journey. These children undergo multiple treatments and procedures,as well as multiple admissions for further surgeries. Procedures in any regard can cause stress and anxiety, especially in children who often have limited understanding and so little control over what happens to them (Lau, 2002).A heart center for children exists at the hospital with the aim of providing a consistent experience for children with cardiac conditions as they move through the different hospital environments, from preadmission clinic to operating theaters to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and then on to the cardiac ward. The Heart Beads Program was developed within a context of person-centered care to enrich the experience of children with cardiac conditions by providing them with distinctive beads specific to each procedure, treatment, or event in recognition of their experiences and endurance (McCormack et al., 2008). This column focuses on the process of starting the program and on preliminary responses from staff, children, and families.
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