Child-centred care in practice: strengthening the right to play in public hospitals in Chile

The right to play is a vital child's right protected by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In hospital settings, play is essential to supporting children's recovery. Nonetheless, access to play is frequently uneven in hospitals. This research examined the availability of play opportunities in Chilean public hospitals, focusing on the factors that affect their accessibility, as well as healthcare professionals' perspectives and attitudes toward children's play.

This exploratory qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews with hospital professionals, supported by a self-assessment questionnaire, and through non-participant observations of hospital play areas. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Healthcare professionals consider play to be a crucial element of child-centered care. Healthcare professionals understand that play significantly affects children's hospital experiences and strive to incorporate it as much as possible into their practice. However, the provision of this right in public facilities was inconsistent and influenced by various normative, institutional, cultural, professional, and child-specific factors outlined in this study.

The growing recognition of play's importance among healthcare workers, combined with hospital management's efforts to promote play for children, indicates that Chile's next step should be to establish a formal minimum standard for play in pediatric health policies. This would require hospitals that serve children to provide such play opportunities. Drawing on hospital staff experiences, this study highlights the main factors affecting access to play in hospitals and identifies key elements for future policy development. Establishing this play standard could motivate further grassroots improvements in pediatric facilities throughout Chile and other Latin American countries.