A preliminary evaluation of hospital preparation for nonpatient children: primary prevention in a "let's pretend hospital".
This study evaluated the effectiveness of an innovative program about hospitalization presented to nonpatient children on a community-wide basis. The "Let's Pretend Hospital" (LPH) is an experiential and informational program wherein a mock hospital is set up for children to visit. The present study compared the self-reported medical fears and amount of medical knowledge for two groups of children--one that went through the LPH program and one that did not. The results provide preliminary evidence of LPH effectiveness in that children who participated in the program reported fewer medical fears and greater medical knowledge than children who did not participate. The potential benefits of this innovative program are demonstrated.
D000407:Alabama; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000523:psychology*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans