Pilot study of play technology in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the role of new technology in promoting play with 3-5-year-old children in a paediatric hospital
IRAS ID
242346
Contact name
Judy Robertson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Edinburgh; College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 0 months, 14 days
Research summary
This is a qualitative study involving observations, semi-structured interviews and informal chats with 3-5-year olds, parents, play specialists and hospital teachers in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC). This is part of my doctoral project, funded by the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), and the Economic and Social Research Council. Access to the hospital is provided by Roslyn Neely (CEO of the ECHC) and Margaret McEwan (Play Coordinator, RHSC); recruitment of participants will be facilitated by Peter Campbell (Chief Nurse, RHSC), and the play specialists on each ward.
I have created a critical evaluation of tablet applications (‘apps’) for young children, with the aim of curating a list of apps that would be considered suitable for use in a hospital setting by a variety of children while promoting various types of play. This comes in support of the technology to be implemented in the new children’s hospital.
A study in the RHSC will contribute to gaining some initial understanding of how young children, and play experts perceive play apps for tablets that have been assessed by the evaluation framework.
Research design:
• Play session observed by the researcher (20 minutes): the child plays with apps while supported by/interacting with the play specialist;
• Choice between 3 and 6 apps (pre-selected as diverse by the researcher and the supervisor) to play with (ca. 5 minutes each);
• This will be followed by short conversations with the child regarding app play;
• The parents’ opinions regarding the apps that the children have played with will be collected via short semi-structured interviews (15 minutes);
• Play specialists and hospital teachers will also be observed interacting with apps which the children have had access to (10 minutes);
• These will be followed by brief semi-structured interviews (15 minutes) so that the study would not disrupt their professional activity.REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0841
Date of REC Opinion
17 May 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion