No child wants to go through diagnostic procedures involving scary machinery. Preparing kids for an MRI scan is a common challenge faced by parents and technicians in the radiology department. Various approaches are used to lessen the anxiety of kids, such as a kid-friendly environment. Philips has introduced a new, kids-focused approach to solve this issue.
Pediatric Coaching by Philips is a holistic solution for MRI scans of kids. From preparing children at home to guiding them at the hospital and during the procedure, Pediatric Coaching covers all phases of getting an MRI scan done. It has three components:
- Gamification mobile app
- Small, educational toy scanner
- In-bore Connect solution
The mobile game contains an elephant character, Ollie, and friends. The kids can play the game and help Ollie undergo an MRI scan. While helping Ollie, the kids also learn how staying still is important during the scan. They also explore the MRI scanner machine through augmented reality. Having a chance to explore the scanner from the comfort of their home reduces anxiety in kids.
The kitten toy scanner is placed at the hospital. They can scan toy animals and see what’s inside each toy. This step prepares them for their own scan.
The third component of Pediatric Coaching is the In-bore Connect solution. As the child lies on the patient platform of the MRI scanner, the familiar voice and projected image of Ollie guides them throughout the scan procedure, such as when to hold their breath.
This step by step preparation via Philips Pediatric Coaching reduces anxiety and makes children more accepting of the procedure. It also enables the radiologist to get high-quality images needed for accurate diagnosis and eliminates the need for sedation during the scan, making the entire procedure more technology-oriented and less pharma oriented.
With Pediatric Coaching, Philips has offered a digital solution and taken a gamification approach to solving a common issue faced by radiologists in the Pediatric Department. This could be revolutionary in deploying a non-chemical approach in taking body scans of pediatric patients.
