When I started in medicine – hardly long ago – Child Life, if it existed at all in the Emergency Department, might have consisted of a few plastic toys and perhaps a Nintendo Entertainment System. Now, the staple of every department is an iPad, filled with apps and distractions for children.
This is a short article from the Pediatric literature reviewing a few cases in which tablet computers proved useful, along with a review of several apps worth loading on for distraction during potentially troubling procedures. Most of the apps reviewed are for iPad, but equivalent exist for Android devices and iPhone.
I’ve definitely gotten mileage out of the movie “Toy Story 3” on my iPhone – perfect for the 3 AM laceration repair when Child Life has gone home for the night.
“Using a Tablet Computer During Pediatric Procedures – A Case Series and Review of the ‘Apps'”
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I work for a neonatal/pediatric transport team and our greatest asset is the TV in the back of the ambulance. I also work full time for a fire department in northern Virginia that has iPads on all of our fire trucks and medic units (small department, only 5 rigs). Transferring my experience from Children's, we utilized our iPad for a 6 year old with a moderate allergic reaction to calm her while we transported her from school. We streamed SpongeBob for her while we transported her and it worked wonders! We also occasionally stream Pandora's Disney channel for calming music.