Philips Electronics has announced the opening of the world’s first Ambient Experience Paediatric Radiology Suite at the Advocate Lutheran General Children’s Hospital in Illinois, USA. The suite is designed to create a soothing environment that enables children to relax while undergoing CT scans. The overall goal of the design is to make children more comfortable and thereby reduce the need for sedation and repeat examinations.
New concept in paediatric radiology
“The goal of the Ambient Experience CT suite is to give control of the environment to young patients to alleviate their anxiety and tension”, said Dr John Anastos, chairman of the department of radiology at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. “A CT exam requires a patient to lie perfectly still, and can be very scary or intimidating to a child. About one-third of children scanned require sedation because they are unable to relax enough for a successful diagnostic exam. This can add six to eight hours of recovery time to a procedure that could be completed in 15 minutes.”
From the moment they check-in to when they leave, paediatric patients are able to make choices over the examination environment using Philips’ Ambient Experience unique design elements, sophisticated lighting and consumer-friendly electronics. In the reception area at the hospital, young patients select cartoons and animation themes to be projected on the wall and ceiling of the examination room, accompanied by corresponding music and sounds. Specialised lighting brings a wash of colour into the experience. All these effects are triggered by the patient passing a radio frequency identification (RFID) card over a reader in the suite.
