Evaluating the Impact of AAC Interventions in Reducing Hospitalization-related Stress: Challenges and Possibilities.
Hospitalization is a stressful context for all children and their families, but especially for children with communication difficulties. Effective communication using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies can play a critical role in preparing and supporting everyone involved in such situations to have discussions that minimize insecurity, allow children to express their concerns, and so decrease negative stress and anxiety. However, there is a critical need to identify robust and reliable ways of evaluating the effectiveness of interventions that seek to achieve this aim. This research note illustrates some of the challenges and problems that require attention and suggests possible new research tools, for example, the use of physiological measures. The evaluation of an AAC intervention on a day surgery ward is described and used to illustrate one potential physiological measure for evaluating the impact of an intervention.
a DART Center for AAC and AT, Sahlgrenska University Hospital , Gothenburg , Sweden ;
Gunilla
G
Thunberg
b Department of Pediatrics, Skaraborg's Hospital , Skövde , Sweden ;|c Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg , Sweden ;
Carl-Johan
CJ
Törnhage
d Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg , Sweden.
Stefan
S
Nilsson
D000293:Adolescent; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology
D006854:Hydrocortisone
Augmentative and alternative communication; anxiety; day surgery; pediatric nursing; pictorial support; salivary cortisol; stress; visual supports