Goel, S., Mihandoust, S., Joseph, A., Markowitz, J., Gonzales, A., Browning, M., (2024) Design of pediatric outpatient procedure environments: A pilot study to understand the perceptions of patients and their parents. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Outpatient procedures are becoming more commonplace for pediatric patients and managing patient and caregiver anxiety associated with treatment is an important aspect of care. This study was conducted in a pediatric outpatient facility where gastrointestinal procedures were performed. Researchers followed child/parent dyads through different phases of treatment (waiting room, pre-procedure room, procedure room, and recovery room), monitored two physiologic stress indicators via wrist sensor, and asked them to identify features of each space that they liked or disliked. Although the physiologic metrics were not statistically significant, responses suggested children experienced most anxiety in the waiting and pre-procedure rooms and parents were most anxious in the waiting room during their child’s procedure. For both groups, anxiety was lowest in the recovery room. Waiting and pre-procedure room distractions could help alleviate anxiety in children and their caregivers.