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Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

NCT number NCT04046692
Other study ID # Hospital_School
Secondary ID
Status Completed
Phase
First received
Last updated
Start date March 15, 2017
Est. completion date March 15, 2020

Study information

Verified date February 2021
Source Meyer Children's Hospital
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority
Study type Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Aim of present study is to evaluate the efficacy of hospital school experience in the reduction of distress, pain and negative emotion in children from 8 to 12 years old, hospitalized in oncology and pediatric wards. Investigators also want to explore the ideas and opinions of teachers and parents about hospital school service. Hypothesis: the investigators expect a reduction in pain, distress and negative emotions.


Description:

The school service into the hospital was born as an attempt to support emotionally, relationally and cognitively the hospitalized children, who have to spend a lot of time alone, without being educated by teachers with their classmates. There are not many studies in the Italian contest about this issue and with the present study the investigators intended to implement the acknowledgement about this theme. The principal aim of this study is to explore if the school service reduces negative emotions experienced by oncological children as well as perceived pain and distress. To evaluate this aims, the investigators organized the study in 3 sections: the first is about the emotions experienced by oncological children between 8 and 12 years old, who benefit from the school service into the hospital; the second is about their parents' opinions and believes about the hospital school service; the third is about opinions, training and educational method dedicated by hospital school teachers and not hospital school teachers (who previously thought to our oncology children sample).


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Completed
Enrollment 180
Est. completion date March 15, 2020
Est. primary completion date January 15, 2020
Accepts healthy volunteers No
Gender All
Age group 8 Years to 12 Years
Eligibility Inclusion Criteria for children: - age between 8 and 12 years old - knowledge of Italian language - consent for study participation - recovery - be/not be in contact with classmates (group A and group B) Exclusion Criteria for Children: - patients who have already had hospital school experience in the past - cognitive disability - patients that cannot complete the study because of health or mental issues incoming during the period of the research Inclusion criteria for hospital teachers: - Italian knowledge - Being a hospital teacher Exclusion criteria for hospital teachers: - Have earlier experience as a hospital children in other hospitals Inclusion criteria for not hospital teachers: - Italian knowledge - Being a teacher of the hospitalized children in the past or present time exclusion criteria for not hospital teachers: - A past experience as a hospital teacher Inclusion criteria for parents: - Italian knowledge - consent for study participation - Health or mental issues that can cause problems in completing questionnaires or answering questions Exclusion criteria for parents: - Cognitive disability - Health or mental issues that can cause problems in completing questionnaires or answering questions

Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


Intervention

Other:
Hospital School Experience, point of view of the children
Operators of the PANAS-C, PH-C and VAS ask the children to answer the questionnaire before/after the school lesson; then they ask the children to make 2 paintings about hospital and not hospital school experience.
Hospital School Experience, point of view of the hospital teachers
operators interview hospital teachers and make them complete a questionnaire (CEESQ)
Hospital School Experience, point of view of the non hospital teachers
operators interview the teachers and make them complete a questionnaire (CEESQ)
Hospital School Experience, point of view of parents
Operators interview parents

Locations

Country Name City State
Italy Meyer Chidren's Hospital Firenze

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
Meyer Children's Hospital University of Florence

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Italy, 

References & Publications (12)

af Sandeberg M, Johansson E, Björk O, Wettergren L. Health-related quality of life relates to school attendance in children on treatment for cancer. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2008 Sep-Oct;25(5):265-74. doi: 10.1177/1043454208321119. Epub 2008 Jul 22. — View Citation

Antonelli E, Vagnoli L, Ciucci E, Vernucci C, Lachi F, Messeri A. A Comparison of Nonpharmacologic Interventions on the Emotional State of Children in the Emergency Department. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2019 Feb;35(2):81-88. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000900. — View Citation

Charlton A, Larcombe IJ, Meller ST, Morris Jones PH, Mott MG, Potton MW, Tranmer MD, Walker JJ. Absence from school related to cancer and other chronic conditions. Arch Dis Child. 1991 Oct;66(10):1217-22. — View Citation

Clatworthy S, Simon K, Tiedeman M. Child drawing: hospital manual. J Pediatr Nurs. 1999 Feb;14(1):10-8. — View Citation

Clatworthy S, Simon K, Tiedeman ME. Child drawing: hospital--an instrument designed to measure the emotional status of hospitalized school-aged children. J Pediatr Nurs. 1999 Feb;14(1):2-9. — View Citation

Georgiadi, M., & Kourkoutas, E. E. (2010). Supporting pupils with cancer on their return to school: a case study report of a reintegration program. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 5, 1288-1282.

Hughes AA, Kendall PC. Psychometric properties of the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children (PANAS-C) in children with anxiety disorders. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2009 Sep;40(3):343-52. doi: 10.1007/s10578-009-0130-4. Epub 2009 Jan 14. — View Citation

Katz LF, Leary A, Breiger D, Friedman D. Pediatric cancer and the quality of children's dyadic peer interactions. J Pediatr Psychol. 2011 Mar;36(2):237-47. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsq050. Epub 2010 Jun 2. — View Citation

Laurent J, Catanzaro SJ, Joiner TE Jr. Development and preliminary validation of the physiological hyperarousal scale for children. Psychol Assess. 2004 Dec;16(4):373-80. — View Citation

Pelander T, Lehtonen K, Leino-Kilpi H. Children in the hospital: elements of quality in drawings. J Pediatr Nurs. 2007 Aug;22(4):333-41. — View Citation

Worchel-Prevatt, F. F., Heffer, R. W., Prevatt, B. C., Miner, J., Young-Saleme, T., Horgan, D., ... & Frankel, L. (1998). A school reentry program for chronically ill children. Journal of school psychology, 36(3), 261-289.

Yilmaz MC, Sari HY, Cetingul N, Kantar M, Erermis S, Aksoylar S. Determination of school-related problems in children treated for cancer. J Sch Nurs. 2014 Oct;30(5):376-84. doi: 10.1177/1059840513506942. Epub 2013 Sep 27. — View Citation

* Note: There are 12 references in allClick here to view all references

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Primary Change in Positive and Negative affect before/after hospital school experience PANAS - C (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children): original version by Laurent (1999), italian version by Ciucci and collaborators. 30-item numerical scale assessing two dimensions (positive and negative affect, 15-item each) on a 5 point likert scale. Validated for children between 8 and 12 years old. Aim of this scale is to evaluate the presence of positive and negative emotions before/after an experience/activity. PANAS - C is completed by the child before and after the school experience (average 3 months); it takes around 5 minutes for each investigation.
Primary Change in Distress level before/after hospital school experience PH - C (Psychological Hyperarousal Scale for Children): original version by Laurent (2004), italian version by Ciucci and collaborators. Numerical scale composed by 18 items measured on a 5 point Likert Scale. Aim of this scale is to evaluate the presence/absence of distress before and after the activity. PH - C is completed by the child before and after the school experience (average 3 months); it takes around 3 minutes for each investigation.
Primary Change in Pain level before/after hospital school experience visual analogue scale (VAS) for children, by Scott, Ansell, & Huskisson (1977). It's a likert scale measuring perceived pain from 0 (no pain) to 10 (maximum pain). VAS is completed by the child before and after the school experience (average 3 months); it takes around 30 seconds for each investigation.
Secondary explorative interview for parents it's a partially structured interview concerning ideas and opinions of parents about hospital school service Investigators interview the parent in a silent and private room within 1 year after child's recruiting
Secondary explorative interview for hospital teachers it's a partially structured interview concerning ideas and opinions of hospital teachers about hospital school service, methods of learning and teaching investigators interview the hospital teacher in a silent and private room within 3 months after child's recruiting
Secondary explorative interview for outside teachers it's a partially structured interview concerning ideas and opinions of outside teachers about hospital school service investigators arranged an appointment to interview the teacher within 1 year after child's recruiting
Secondary research form for investigator it's a research partially structured form regarding informations about how it's organised hospital school service within 3 months after child's recruiting, the researcher observes a lesson and then fills in the form
Secondary research form for the outside teacher it's a research partially structured form regarding informations about how it's organised hospital school service through study completion, an average of 1 year, the outside teacher fill in the form after a lesson
Secondary child's emotions and ideas about hospital school service investigators ask the child to draw the hospital school service and then is asked what he/she has drawn, what it represents, what's for him/her the best moment of hospital school within 1 year after child's recruiting, investigators ask the child to draw when present in the Oncology Day Hospital or in the oncology/pediatric ward and then pick the draw
Secondary child's emotions and ideas about outside school service investigators ask the child to draw the outside school service and then is asked what he has drawn, what it represents, what's for him/her the best moment of school; also, children is asked if he/she perceives a difference between outside school and hospital school service within 1 year after child's recruiting, investigators ask the child to draw when present in the Oncology Day Hospital or in the oncology/pediatric ward and then pick the draw
Secondary emotions and self efficacy of hospital teachers CEESQ (Crèche Educators Emotional Style Questionnaire): italian version by Ciucci, Baroncelli and Toselli (2015); numerical scale measuring emotions and self efficacy on a likert scale from 0 to 5; it takes around 10/15 minutes the investigator asks the teacher to fill in the questionnaire, within 3 months after child's recruiting