Little Journey, a virtual reality app designed to ‘reduce perioperative anxiety for children and families’, has linked up with NHS England to make educational videos for kids about coronavirus.
The videos will be created with children aged eight and above in mind, with the company putting out a call on social media for parents with children aged 8 to 12 to get in touch and volunteer.
Asking for input from part of its target audience is nothing new for Little Journey, as the smartphone application was co-designed with patients, parents and healthcare professionals.
The ‘ground-breaking’ interactive medical app allows young patients to get comfortable in the hospital they’ll be admitted to before an operation. The tech is intended to make surgery and hospital visit topics easier to understand and discuss for families, from the comfort of home.
It does this by by harnessing VR headset technology to allow children to explore playrooms, wards, anaesthetic rooms and even operating theatres before arriving, with the help of guides.
The tour guides are available in two age-appropriate categories; the suitable for ages three and above tour, with staff-turned-cartoon animal guides, or the eight years plus tour that uses animations of human medical staff.
Customised to different hospitals, and with an access point for staff too, it can help prepare both parents and children ahead of surgery with more than VR tools. The visual guides not only take families through their surgery ‘journey’ and process, using ‘bitesize chunks’ of information to explain what’s going to happen, but also provide educational games, learning opportunities and helpful parent checklists.
Little Journey is currently working with a number of NHS trusts, including Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, Calderdale and Huddersfield, Nottingham University Hospitals, Buckinghamshire Healthcare and University College London Hospitals.
Interested parents can email hello@littlesparkhospital.com to get involved with the latest coronavirus educational video.
Otherwise, find out more about the app at the Little Sparks Hospital website.
