Live interactive frame technology alleviating children stress and isolation during hospitalization

Abstract

Children that spend long periods in hospitals suffer different negative effects that affect their emotional and psychological development including sleep disorders, stress, and degradation of school performance. A common reason behind these effects is related to breaking of normal relationships and lack of contacts with the daily environments (family, friends, school, etc.). In this paper we describe a system called Live Interactive Frame (LIFE), developed in DESEOS research project, to address this situation. The LIFE system provides children with live interactive visual contact of their school activities during hospitalization with the goal of reducing the stress and feeling of isolation. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.