Group Medical Play and Children's Self-Reported Fear in the Pre-Operative Setting

Previous research has demonstrated that medical play intervention is associated with decreased pain, fear, and anxiety in children undergoing surgical procedures; however, these studies have typically examined one-on-one, adult-directed, and preparation-focused uses of medical play. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed-methods pilot study was to examine the impact of a group medical play intervention on children’s self-reported fear and observed anxiety in the pre-operative waiting area, and determine the feasibility of group medical play as a research intervention while balancing clinical care. Twenty children (ages 5 to 10 years) scheduled for a sedated surgical or medical procedure in the pre-operative services waiting area of a children’s hospital in the Southeastern United States participated in a 30-minute group medical play session facilitated by a Certified Child Life Specialist. At the conclusion of the group activity, participants used a pictorial scale to rate their level of fear about surgery at two distinct time points: prior to and after the medical play session. In addition, they responded to three open-ended prompts about their perceptions of the activity. Participant fear ratings were analyzed using a two-tailed, paired-samples t-test, revealing that the group medical play activity was associated with a statistically significant decrease in participant fears about surgery. In conclusion, group medical play as a research intervention was both clinically feasible and effective in reducing children’s fears about surgery, highlighting the value of group play opportunities for children’s coping in health care settings.