Open Access

ARTICLE

Attitudes towards child life specialists and their utilization within pediatric urology

Preeya K. Mistry¹, Bradley A. Morganstern², Haris Ahmed¹, Lane S. Palmer²

1 The Smith Institute for Urology, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
2 Division of Pediatric Urology. Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center, New Hyde Park, New York, USA
Address correspondence to Dr. Preeya K Mistry, The Smith Institute for Urology, 450 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY 11042 USA

Canadian Journal of Urology 2019, 26(6), 10022-10025.

Abstract

Introduction: The American Academy of Pediatrics views Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) as “an important component of pediatric hospital-based care to address the psychosocial concerns that accompany hospitalization.” CCLSs help patients and parents navigate the complex medical system in order to minimize psychosocial and emotional stress by implementing age-appropriate coping skills. This survey explores the perceptions towards CCLS and their utilization in pediatric urology.
Materials and methods: A SurveyMonkey questionnaire was developed and distributed to Society for Pediatric Urology members (SPU) (n = 314). Providers were queried about CCLS implementation and their perception regarding CCLS’s role in improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Results: There was a 34.1% response rate (n = 107). Ninety-four providers (87.9%) reported CCLS interaction with their patients, and greater than 95% of providers felt CCLS imparted some degree of benefit to their patients’ HRQOL. Only 4.7% felt CCLS offered no benefit to the patients. CCLS were consistently used in a minority of inpatient and outpatient settings and never in the radiological setting. They were used at least 50% of the time by most responders in the inpatient and radiological setting and nearly the same in the ambulatory surgery setting.
Conclusions: This survey illuminates that the majority of providers interact with CCLS in clinical settings and believe their involvement is beneficial. However, CCLSs are under-utilized during invasive urological procedures where patient anxiety is high. By understanding the perceptions of providers and their practice patterns, we can overcome barriers to CCLS use and improve patients’ quality of life.

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Keywords

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