Purpose or Case Report: For pediatric patients, the hallway leading to a radiology imaging room may be just as anxiety-inducing as the exam itself. In an effort to counteract a child’s anxiety, rideable remote control cars were purchased to begin the distraction process at the child’s first step towards the Radiology Department.
Methods & Materials: Through charitable donations, two cars were purchased for $400 each to be used in a trial for patient transport throughout Radiology. Six staff members, across different shifts, were identified as Super Users and trained based on the Operation Manual provided by the manufacturer. Competency was deemed through staff demonstration of operating the remote control cars safely and practicing all safety measures associated with patient riders. The riders must wear the safety belt, keep all body parts inside the vehicle, be age three years or older and weigh under 60 pounds. There is a switch to deactivate the foot pedals; however there is not a mechanism to deactivate the steering wheel. Therefore, patients are asked to place their hands by their sides. Another consideration was storage of the cars, as multiple cars require a significant amount of space for parking and electrical outlet needs for recharging the batteries. Storing the cars in a publicly accessible location was not ideal for safety concerns. Ultimately, an alcove by a set of elevators was selected for easy access by staff during the day and the MRI Mock Scanner Room was utilized for recharging at night.
Results: The success of the rideable remote control car program was evident through positive feedback received on customer service surveys. A video posting on Facebook resulted in a local news story highlighting the cars and the fun experience for one patient, thus providing marketing exposure affirmative of the care being provided. The project returned favorable results, prompting the facility to add the rideable cars to a wish list that is shared with charitable donors. A total of 20 cars are now available for use throughout Radiology and other departments across the system.
Conclusions: While the project initially centered on the reduction of patient anxiety, additional benefits identified were stress alleviation for the parents and entertainment for patient's siblings. The ride from the Radiology Waiting Room to the exam room also allowed the technologists to develop a rapport with the patient that allowed for more cooperation during the imaging study.