A hospital visit can be daunting at any age, but for children, the unfamiliar sights and sounds of medical procedures can be overwhelming.
Eight-year-old Cody, who has complex medical conditions and lives with Autism and vision impairment, knows the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) well. Yet, after many visits and numerous procedures, facing something new still brings him distress and anxiety.
This is an experience shared by many families whose children face complex medical journeys. Thanks to community-driven ideas and support, there’s a new project making a real difference: child-focused videos designed to help kids like Cody prepare for medical tests.
Cody’s mum, Melissa, has seen firsthand the challenges her son faces before a new procedure. “He has a lot of questions in the lead up to a new procedure, like ‘What does the room and equipment look like?’ But with only written information about procedures, it is difficult to answer him,” she shares.
Sometimes, Cody’s anxiety can be so intense it puts the procedure’s success at risk. As a consumer advocate at the WCH, Melissa suggested creating videos filmed from a child’s perspective. Visualising the experience, she believed, would give Cody a sense of predictability and reduce his worries.
“The video helps Cody to create a mental image of the procedure and familiarise himself with what will happen, which then reduces his anxiety and gives him some predictability,” Melissa says.
Emma Evans, Speech Pathologist at WCH, took this idea and with the support of the WCH Foundation, developed a video to prepare children for a ‘swallow study’. Swallow studies, which help identify issues with swallowing that put a child at risk of choking or aspiration, can be stressful as they involve eating and drinking foods mixed with a bitter-tasting contrast while being x-rayed.
Emma’s video walks children through every step; introducing the room, the equipment, and explaining what will happen. By making the unknown familiar, the video gives children and their families a sense of control and calms anxiety.
Feedback from parents has been resoundingly positive. The mum of Ali, who recently viewed the video with her child, said,
“It was very helpful! It’s nice and quick which is great for children, and will be helpful for children who don’t already have experiences of what it’s like being in those kind of spaces to help them know what to expect.”
When children and parents know what to expect, the stress around hospital procedures is eased and the likelihood of successful outcomes rises.
This project highlights the value of consumer-driven ideas and strong community partnership. From a mum’s insight to a specialist’s commitment and the Foundation’s support, it demonstrates how we can work together to improve hospital experiences.
Your support brings consumer-driven ideas to life and helps every child feel prepared, understood, and safe.
View the Fluoroscopic Swallow Study Video here:
