Ideas That Work: Patient Satisfaction Is in the Bag

The Medical Play Distraction Therapy program at Shriners Children’s Lexington (SCL), Ky., doesn’t end when pediatric patients are discharged. Parents are instructed to contact the recreational therapist who worked with their children preoperatively to resume at-home work as needed, according to Connie Wilson, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSPDT, the facility’s director of patient care services. The patients are sent home with Happy Hope Bags containing age-appropriate items for them to play with that are designed to reduce post-op pain. Patient satisfaction scores regarding pain levels after discharge have increased from 81% to 99% since the bags have been passed out, according to Ms. Wilson. “Parents comment about how appreciative they are for our play therapy program because other healthcare facilities had never provided this type of service for their children,” she says. OSM