Hospital-Based Playrooms, Classrooms, and Pet Therapy

2019 ◽  
pp. 199-230
Author(s):  
Jane M. Gould
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Developmentally Appropriate ◽  
Pet Therapy ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Pediatric Healthcare ◽  
Life Function

A unique feature of most pediatric healthcare facilities is that they provide opportunities for both inpatients and outpatients to participate in play with developmentally appropriate toys during their medical care. Reasons for play in hospitalized pediatric patients may include providing mechanisms to educate children about their particular medical conditions, providing stress reduction during frightening procedures, assisting in the development of coping strategies, and attempting to maintain a sense of normalcy during long hospitalizations. Although toys and playroom environments provide a vital psychosocial and quality-of-life function, however, they are also known to contribute to the transmission of infectious agents. This chapter provides guidance on minimizing transmission of pathogens in hospital-based playrooms and classrooms: pathogens that are commonly found in pediatric healthcare facilities. This chapter also discusses the transmission challenges with pet therapy programs for children, and suggests approaches for safe implementation of these programs. Sample policies are included.

scholarly journals Inquiry Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) Improves Overall Stuttering Experience among Adults Who Stutter: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2187
Author(s):  
Omrit Feldman ◽  
Eran Goldstien ◽  
Benjamin Rolnik ◽  
Ariel B. Ganz ◽  
Shahar Lev-Ari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Adults Who Stutter

Stuttering is a speech disorder that can cause disturbances in the timing and flow of speech. In addition to being a communication disorder, stuttering is often accompanied by a reduction in the quality of life and has impacts on social status, mental well-being, self-acceptance, and the chances of integration into the labor market. The Inquiry Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) program, developed in the United States by Byron Katie in 1986, is the clinical application of “The Work” method (Thework.com) and represents an emerging mindfulness and cognitive-reframing method. IBSR has been demonstrated to improve mental health and well-being in adults and may alleviate psychological and psychosocial symptoms of stuttering. The purpose of this trial was to examine the effect of a 12-week IBSR intervention on the overall stuttering experience and indicators of anxiety, psychological flexibility, and well-being among adults who stutter (AWS). This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial. Participants were randomized to IBSR (n = 28) and control (n = 28) groups. Validated questionnaires of overall stuttering experience (OASES-A), anxiety (STAI), psychological flexibility (PFQ), and satisfaction with life (SWLS) were completed before, after, and one month after the intervention. An intention-to-treat approach was implemented for analysis. Our results show that participants in the IBSR intervention group exhibited a greater improvement in their overall stuttering experience as compared to the control group, as well as in general information on stuttering awareness and perception, reactions to stuttering, communication in daily situations, and quality of life. In addition, we found a greater reduction in anxiety levels and an increase in satisfaction-with-life scores in the IBSR group. These results indicate that IBSR can improve the overall stuttering experience.

scholarly journals Virtual reality-based relaxation for enhancement of perioperative well-being and quality of life: protocol for a randomised pilot trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e044193
Author(s):  
Matthias Christian Schrempf ◽  
Julian Quirin Petzold ◽  
Hugo Vachon ◽  
Morten Aagaard Petersen ◽  
Johanna Gutschon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Pilot Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coping Resources ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Sample Size Calculations

IntroductionPatients with cancer undergoing surgery often suffer from reduced quality of life and various forms of distress. Untreated distress can negatively affect coping resources as well as surgical and oncological outcomes. A virtual reality-based stress reduction intervention may increase quality of life and well-being and reduce distress in the perioperative phase for patients with cancer. This pilot trial aims to explore the feasibility of the proposed intervention, assess patient acceptability and obtain estimates of effect to provide data for sample size calculations.Methods and analysisPatients with colorectal cancer and liver metastasis undergoing elective surgery will be recruited for this single-centre, randomised pilot trial with a three-arm design. A total of 54 participants will be randomised at 1:1:1 ratio to one of two intervention groups or a control receiving standard treatment. Those randomised to an intervention group will either receive perioperative virtual reality-based stress reduction exercises twice daily or listen to classical music twice daily. Primary feasibility outcomes are number and proportions of participants recruited, screened, consented and randomised. Furthermore, adherence to the intervention, compliance with the completion of the quality of life questionnaires and feasibility of implementing the trial procedures will be assessed. Secondary clinical outcomes are measurements of the effectiveness of the interventions to inform sample size calculations.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol, the patient information and the informed consent form have been approved by the ethics committee of the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany (Reference Number: 19–915). Study findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberDRKS00020909.

scholarly journals Beneficial Effects of Remote Medical Care for Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2311
Author(s):  
Eleonora Gaetani ◽  
Fabiana Agostini ◽  
Luigi Di Martino ◽  
Denis Occhipinti ◽  
Giulio Cesare Passali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Emergency Room ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia ◽  
Iron Supplementation ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Blood Transfusions ◽  
Emergency Room Visits

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) needs high-quality care and multidisciplinary management. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most non-urgent clinical activities for HHT outpatients were suspended. We conducted an analytical observational cohort study to evaluate whether medical and psychological support, provided through remote consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic, could reduce the complications of HHT. Methods: A structured regimen of remote consultations, conducted by either video-calls, telephone calls, or e-mails, was provided by a multidisciplinary group of physicians to a set of patients of our HHT center. The outcomes considered were: number of emergency room visits/hospitalizations, need of blood transfusions, need of iron supplementation, worsening of epistaxis, and psychological status. Results: The study included 45 patients who received remote assistance for a total of eight months. During this period, 9 patients required emergency room visits, 6 needed blood transfusions, and 24 needed iron supplementation. This was not different from what was registered among the same 45 patients in the same period of the previous year. Remote care also resulted in better management of epistaxis and improved quality of life, with the mean epistaxis severity score and the Euro-Quality of Life-Visual Analogue Scale that were significantly better at the end than at the beginning of the study. Discussion: Remote medical care might be a valid support for HHT subjects during periods of suspended outpatient surveillance, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Coping strategies predicting quality of life in diabetic and obese NAFLD patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Funuyet-Salas ◽  
A Martín-Rodríguez ◽  
M A Pérez-San-Gregorio ◽  
M Romero-Gómez
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Physical Component Summary ◽  
Fatty Liver Disease ◽  
Mental Component Summary ◽  
Active Coping ◽  
Self Blame ◽  
Positive Reframing

Abstract Background To date, coping strategies have not been studied in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), despite evidence of their relevance in chronic liver pathology, Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity (OB). We therefore analyzed which coping strategies predicted quality of life in diabetic and obese NAFLD patients. Methods Four hundred and ninety-two biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (290 men and 202 women, mean age 54.90±11.74) were evaluated using The Brief COPE, 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (CLDQ-NAFLD). A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed on four groups (G1, n = 335, absence of T2DM; G2, n = 157, presence of T2DM; G3, n = 249, absence of OB; and G4, n = 243, presence of OB) to analyze which coping strategies predicted patient quality of life (physical component summary SF-12, mental component summary SF-12, and total CLDQ-NAFLD). Results In both diabetic and obese patients, active coping (T2DM, p = 0.003, β = 0.26; OB, p = 0.000, β = 0.33) and denial (T2DM, p = 0.027, β=-0.19; OB, p = 0.004, β=-0.18) predicted the physical component summary. Denial (T2DM, p = 0.000, β=-0.30; OB, p = 0.001, β=-0.19), positive reframing (T2DM, p = 0.000, β = 0.28; OB, p = 0.000, β = 0.29), self-blame (T2DM, p = 0.000, β=-0.24; OB, p = 0.000, β=-0.26) and self-distraction (T2DM, p = 0.033, β=-0.13; OB, p = 0.023, β=-0.11) predicted the mental component summary. Denial (T2DM, p = 0.000, β=-0.34; OB, p = 0.000, β=-0.31), positive reframing (T2DM, p = 0.000, β = 0.30; OB, p = 0.005, β = 0.15) and self-blame (T2DM, p = 0.000, β=-0.26; OB, p = 0.000, β=-0.28) also predicted the total CLDQ-NAFLD in both groups. Conclusions Active coping and positive reframing predicted better quality of life, while denial, self-blame and self-distraction predicted worse quality of life in diabetic and obese NAFLD patients, suggesting the inclusion of coping strategies in future multidisciplinary NAFLD treatments. Key messages Importance of coping strategies for NAFLD patients: active coping and positive reframing predicted better quality of life, while denial, self-blame and self-distraction predicted worse quality. This study shows the need to design multidisciplinary strategies for managing NAFLD and improving patient quality of life, in which intervention in coping strategies should be a major element.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for people with chronic diseases

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Merkes
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a structured group program that uses mindfulness meditation to improve well-being and alleviate suffering. This article reviews the impact of MBSR for people with chronic diseases. The review includes original research that was published in English and peer-reviewed and reported outcomes for adults with chronic diseases who had participated in an MBSR program. Fifteen studies were identified. Outcomes related to mental and physical health, well-being, and quality of life. The studies included different research designs, and used self-report and physiological outcome measures. Participants’ clinical diagnoses included fibromyalgia, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and cardiovascular diagnoses. All 15 studies found that participation in an MBSR program resulted in improvements. No negative change was reported between baseline and follow up. Outcomes in regard to specific variables were difficult to compare and equivocal. Overall, positive change predominated. Chronic diseases are associated with a range of unwelcome psychological and physical consequences. Participation in an MBSR program is likely to result in coping better with symptoms, improved overall well-being and quality of life, and enhanced health outcomes. As an adjunct to standard care, MBSR has potential for much wider application in Australian primary care settings.

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