title: Videophone support for an eight-year-old boy undergoing paediatric bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: We report the use of an Internet-based videophone to support a child undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Over the Christmas period, an eight-year-old boy with an underlying diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a history of absconding and aggressive non-compliant behaviour was treated by BMT. We installed an Internet-based videophone in the patient's hospital room two days post-transplant. A second videophone was installed in the patient's home and used the existing home telephone line. In all, 14 videophone calls were made over a nine-day period. The videophone improved interfamily social and emotional support, and appeared to reduce some of the inherent anxiety and distress resulting from paediatric bone marrow transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. m.bensink@coh.uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bensink
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shergold
authors.forename: Liane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Little
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Irving
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wootton
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012944:Social Support; D049269:Videoconferencing