Putting Stollery kids at ease
Funded in partnership with the Ben Stelter Foundation, young patients at the Stollery Children’s Hospital can feel prepared for MRIs through the power of play.
In partnership with the Ben Stelter Foundation, Stollery kids can feel more at ease with MRI scans with the help of the MRI Kitten Scanner and Scan Buddy app.
With the help of pediatric coaching and a patient and family-centered approach, young patients can playfully prepare for an effective MRI exam. This helps to scan kids successfully the first time with as few sedatives as possible, while also reducing anxiety. This tool uses gamification, a buddy system and augmented reality to empower kids through their MRI scan journey.
How it works:
The pediatric coaching journey begins at home with ‘Scan Buddy’, a gamified mobile app to help young patients and their caregivers become familiar with the MRI procedure.
The next step takes place at the Stollery, with an educational scale-size Kitten Scanner when kids can ‘scan’ their favourite buddy character to trigger a fun and informative video.
Thanks to the ongoing support of the Ben Stelter Foundation, the Stollery is helping alleviate fear and anxiety surrounding MRI scans through play-based activities, giving young patients and their caregivers a more positive hospital experience.
