PALO ALTO, Calif-- Inside and out, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital was built for kids. Now the hospital takes ‘kid-friendly’ to a whole new level with the premiere of Packard Kids Connection, a new interactive Web site for children ages 5 to 12 to learn what to expect during a hospital visit.

Located at http://kids.lpch.org, this playfully animated, bilingual site is filled with interactive games and demonstrations, such as how to prepare for a hospital visit and what to expect for tests and treatments. Kids can also check out the hospital’s activities and resources–the library, school, cafeteria and playrooms–through photos and on-location videos.

The verdict?
 
“It’s wicked tight,” said 12-year-old Miranda Ashland after test-driving the site last week. For those of you without a pre-teen, that’s what’s called a rave review.

She should know. Miranda received a liver transplant at Packard Children’s when she was six months old. She was particularly interested in the site’s descriptions of familiar procedures: MRIs, CT scans and blood draws.

Miranda’s mom, Michele Ashland, was pleased. She was one of several members of the hospital’s Family Advisory Council who helped develop the site. “It’s beyond great that Packard Children’s would involve parents,” she said. “We were able to share our experiences with the team and say, ‘My child would have benefited from this, or needed to know that.’”

Child Life and Recreation Therapy experts, pediatric nurses, doctors and many other staff members collaborated on the site during its two-year-long development. In addition, the hospital partnered with Rolling Orange, a Bay Area online content development company, on the site’s production.

“It’s a perfect addition to our child-friendly environment,” said Debby Monzack, CCLS, a child life specialist. “It lets children familiarize themselves with the hospital experience and helps them feel more confident and in control while they’re here.”

On the site, kids can personalize their own character to lead them through activities that demystify the hospital. Colorfully-animated test and treatment sections – blood draw, IV, x-ray, CT scan, MRI scan and anesthesia – provide step-by-step understanding of how it all works. Miranda particularly enjoyed ordering multiple rounds of virtual x-rays for her character, which brought an in-depth view of the bones of the body.

There’s also a packing game that encourages kids to select items from a virtual bedroom to bring to the hospital. They also meet staff members and even spend time with a virtual roommate. It’s all very interactive: kids can decorate their IV, choose a relaxing daydream and even select the right outfit for the day of their treatment.

Packard Kids Connection doesn’t just prepare children for future hospital visits or procedures. It also provides another way for kids like Miranda to understand past experiences. 

“Kids in this age group process things through repetition,” said nurse practitioner Ginny Curtin, an ear, nose and throat specialist. “I tell parents not to be surprised if their children want to discuss their experiences over and over. They are not obsessing, they’re learning. It’s normal.”

“It’s so important for children facing medical challenges to feel that they have some ownership over their experiences,” said Michele Ashland. “They can look at the site and say to themselves or their friends and family members, ‘This is the place I go. This is what I do there.’ It gives them more of a chance to be OK with it all.”


About Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S.News & World Report and Child magazine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is a 264-bed hospital devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers. Providing pediatric and obstetric medical and surgical services and associated with the Stanford University School of Medicine, Packard Children's offers patients locally, regionally and nationally the full range of health care programs and services — from preventive and routine care to the diagnosis and treatment of serious illness and injury. For more information, visit www.lpch.org.