Children's Distress During Flu Vaccination Clinical Trial
Millions of children in North America receive an annual flu vaccination, many of whom are at risk of experiencing severe distress. Children frequently use technologically advanced devices such as computers and cell phones. Based on this familiarity, the investigators introduced another sophisticated device - a humanoid robot to- interact with children during their vaccination. The investigators hypothesized that these children would experience less distress than children who did not have this interaction.
57 children (30 male; age, mean + SD: 6.87 + 1.34 years) were randomly assigned to a vaccination session with a nurse who used standard administration procedures, or with a robot who was programmed to use cognitive-behavioral strategies with them while a nurse administered the vaccination. Measures of distress were completed by children, parents, nurses, and researchers. ;
Observational Model: Case Control, Time Perspective: Prospective