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Centring children's lived experiences in understanding the importance of play in hospitals
Kelsey Graber1, Christine O'Farrelly1, Paul Ramchandani1
1Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development & Learning (PEDAL), Faculty of Education, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
Insights
Children need safe and comfortable hospital environments to play. Their perspectives are crucial for making hospitals child-friendly and respecting their right to be treated as children first.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Healthcare
- Child Psychology
- Hospital Environment Studies
Background:
- Children's right to participate in healthcare decisions is increasingly recognized.
- While play is a positive aspect of hospitalization for children, their perspectives on hospital play are understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore children's lived experiences of play during hospitalization.
- To understand how children perceive and engage with play in a hospital setting.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing ethnographic observations.
- Interviews conducted with 16 children aged 3-13 years on a pediatric oncology ward over five months.
Main Results:
- Children require safety and comfort to engage in play.
- Children determine the value and efficacy of play for themselves.
- Play allows hospitalized children to be, and be treated as, children first.
Conclusions:
- Child-friendly hospitals depend on children's positive experiences.
- Integrating children's perspectives on play is vital for respecting their rights and delivering person-centered care.
Background:
Children have a right to participate in matters affecting their lives. With increasing regularity, children's perspectives are being sought regarding their health and health care experiences. Though there is evidence that children find play to be one of the 'best' aspects of hospitalisation, studies rarely focus on children's perspectives on play in hospital.
Methods:
This qualitative study explored children's lived experiences of play during hospitalisation. Over five months, ethnographic observations were conducted on a paediatric oncology ward as well as interviews with 16 children ages 3-13 years.
Results:
Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, children's expressions and experiences illuminated three key points: safety and comfort are integral to children feeling able to play in hospital; the value and efficacy of play is decided by children; and that play is a way for patients to be (and be treated as) children first.
Conclusion:
Hospitals can only be child-friendly if children find them friendly. Listening to and integrating children's perspectives in the discourse around the importance of play in hospital is essential for respecting children's rights and delivering person-centred paediatric healthcare.
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