Feasibility and acceptability of an animatronic duck intervention for promoting adaptation to the in-patient setting among pediatric patients receiving treatment for cancer
- PMID: 31486586
- PMCID: PMC6938026
- DOI: 10.1002/pbc.27984
Feasibility and acceptability of an animatronic duck intervention for promoting adaptation to the in-patient setting among pediatric patients receiving treatment for cancer
Abstract
Background: During cancer treatment, children undergo potentially stressful hospitalizations and procedures. Animatronic devices are a promising means of distraction intervention. This study aimed to assess acceptability and feasibility of the My Special Aflac Duck® (MSAD) intervention among pediatric oncology patients and parents. We hypothesized that MSAD would be feasible to implement, have greater than 50% acceptance, and be useful distraction.
Procedures: This feasibility study enrolled oncology patients aged 3-11 years admitted to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta between May and August 2018. Patients were exposed to MSAD for 3 days and completed quantitative and qualitative assessments of acceptability. Patient and hospital data were abstracted.
Results: Seventeen (80.9%) of 21 eligible patients enrolled; 64.7% were <7 years, 47% were female, 52.9% had leukemia, 41.2% had solid tumors, and 5.9% had brain tumors. Patients had 1-12 previous admissions (mean 4.8, SD 3.1) and approximately 65% were planned hospitalizations. Approximately 69% reported MSAD helped reduce in-patient distress and 93.7% were satisfied with MSAD overall. Child satisfaction was high. There were no significant differences in acceptability or satisfaction with MSAD based on age, gender, number of inpatient procedures or previous hospitalizations, or hospitalization reason. Qualitative interviews revealed patients liked expressing feelings with tokens and thought MSAD was a fun distraction.
Conclusions: MSAD implementation was feasible, and its acceptability was high among both patients and parents. MSAD shows potential as good distraction and an alternative means of communicating feelings. Future research should expand upon the effectiveness of MSAD on reducing distress.
Keywords: intervention; pediatric oncology; psychosocial; support care.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Conflict of interest statement
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Support for this study was provided, in part, by Aflac Incorporated also provided resources for the creation of the My Special Aflac Duck®. The researchers involved in this study were not involved in the creation or development of My Special Aflac Duck®. The investigative team independently designed the study, including the selection of outcomes. Further, interpretations were done exclusively within the scientific research group. The analyses were performed by T.P.M. and A.C.M. and all results are reported in an objective fashion. No financial incentives for study outcomes were provided to the research team, and no improper influence (either directly or indirectly) occurred during the research and reporting process.
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