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The role of child life in pediatric radiology

  • Minisymposium: Patient experience in pediatric radiology
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Abstract

Pediatric radiology departments rely heavily on a dedicated, efficient and collaborative multi-disciplinary health care team to provide efficient service and quality care to patients and families. Certified child life specialists are an essential part of this multi-disciplinary team. The main goal of the child life specialists is to improve the overall experience for patients and families. In addition, child life specialists, working in collaboration with the medical care team, help decrease the need for general anesthesia by providing patient pain management, distraction and coping techniques. These interventions result in improved patient safety, increased departmental efficiency and increased revenue. The role of child life specialists extends into the exam room, where their interventions help decrease procedure times and improve imaging quality. In this article, the authors discuss the key role of child life specialists in a pediatric radiology department and provide examples of how child life can impact patient safety, patient and family satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Life Department, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, CA, USA

    Susan L. Kinnebrew, Carrie G. Dove, Carrie M. Midwin & Teresa M. Olson

  2. Department of Radiology, Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA

    Carolina V. A. Guimaraes

Authors
  1. Susan L. Kinnebrew
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  2. Carrie G. Dove
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  3. Carrie M. Midwin
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  4. Teresa M. Olson
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  5. Carolina V. A. Guimaraes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carolina V. A. Guimaraes.

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Kinnebrew, S.L., Dove, C.G., Midwin, C.M. et al. The role of child life in pediatric radiology. Pediatr Radiol 50, 1509–1513 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04795-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00247-020-04795-x

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