Calderdale Royal Hospital: How the power of Disney is comforting children having MRI scans in Yorkshire
There can be few things more stressful as a parent than watching your child receive hospital treatment.
And in the case of MRI scans there’s an even greater complication: how to ensure your child stays still enough for good images to be produced.
But doctors treating children undergoing scans at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax have a new trick under their sleeves – thanks to the enduring appeal of Disney.
Characters beloved by generations of children, including the Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh and Tinkerbell, are being used as short animations that patients can watch while undergoing their scans.
The idea is a collaboration between Disney and technology company Philips, whose managing director is Mark Leftwich (pictured.)
The Philips Ambient Experience has already helped one little girl to relax during her scanning experience at the hospital.
Seven-year-old Esme is described by her mum Lauren as a “wriggler.”
But the Disney projections helped give her something to focus on during the long scan.
Lauren said: “I’d spoken Esme through what to expect because I’ve had an MRI before myself, so I told her what she’d need to do.
“But I was worried she might not be able to stay still because she’s a bit of a fidget bum – she’s a wriggler.
“Obviously, you need to stay still during the scan, and I was worried she’d keep getting distracted, trying to look around and move. But she surprised me because she was completely still during this.”
She gave some sage advice to other parents whose children are set to have MRI scans at the hospital: “Just try to stay calm as a parent, because your child picks up on how you’re feeling.
“But having that distraction there definitely helps massively. Every child loves Disney. It helps them relax and it helps you relax as well.”
Alison Lord, radiographer at Calderdale said: “I definitely think the experience Philips and Disney have created here really helps create a calm and relaxed atmosphere. And it really helps us get great outcomes.”
“Using the Philips Ambient Experience with Disney, we’re getting really good results without needing other interventions such as general anaesthetic. Our general anaesthetic rate has come right down.
“When I’m speaking to parents before the scan, they really want to try this.”
“At Disney, we believe stories have the power to bring comfort and emotional connection to children and families,” said Lisa Haines, senior vice president, corporate social responsibility, The Walt Disney Company.
“We’re proud to collaborate with Philips to extend that impact into MRI rooms in a meaningful way—using our beloved stories and characters to help provide moments of escape, normalcy, and reassurance during what can be an intimidating experience for kids in hospitals.”
A multi-center study conducted across six hospitals in Europe highlighted the impact of Ambient Experience with Disney themes.
For children ages 6–10, post-scan paediatric patient stress levels were reduced by 43 per cent compared to pre-exam. In addition, pauses during scans dropped by 63 per cent compared to procedures without intervention.