Creating a communication space in the healthcare context: Children's perspective of using the eHealth service, Sisom.
Ing-Marie Carlsson, Susann Arvidsson, Petra Svedberg and 4 others
PMID 32048874WHAT IT FOUND
Children described hospital appointments as stressful and rarely central to decisions.
Using Sisom let them answer with a tablet, choose what to share, and be heard without speaking. Staff and parents then had space for dialogue.
Key findings
01During appointments, children said they were only asked a few direct questions and had little influence over what was discussed.
02Using Sisom created a communication space in which children could participate, be acknowledged, and exchange thoughts with parents and healthcare professionals.
03The tool let children answer by tapping a tablet instead of speaking and gave them time to think before responding.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is qualitative and included 16 children, so it reports children's experiences rather than testing whether Sisom works. The participants were children who had several visits at the centres, and the authors say further research is needed on when to use the tool and whether it can be used more widely. The study produces themes from interviews, not measured effects on communication, decision-making or health outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research, authorship or publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that Sisom improves health outcomes, communication quality or decision-making for all children. It reports children's experiences in a qualitative study, not a tested intervention with measured outcomes.