iPad helps minimise kid's pain and anxiety

In a new kind of experiment, nurses at the emergency department of New York-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital are using iPads to minimise pain of the patient.

The Children's Comfort Programme (CCP) enables assessment and treatment of pain and has implemented the use of innovative techniques, such as using an iPad, to minimise discomfort and anxiety during procedures.

"Whether a child comes to us with a broken arm, severe asthma or any medical emergency, we need to do all we can to eliminate the pain they are feeling and get them the care they need,” says Bernadette O'Brien, R.N., vice president of operations at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

The CCP allows nurses to administer pain relief immediately after pain has been assessed and to administer anaesthetising gel in anticipation of a suture repair.

IPad usage helps in calming the child so that the procedure may be completed faster and more efficiently, and by reducing or eliminating the need for physical restraint.