Using Attention-Based Goals to Guide Pediatric Outpatient Design

Abstract

A trip to the doctor can be a stressful experience for children. Patient experience can be improved when healthcare settings are designed to support children’s attentional states of engagement and distraction. This essay describes when to use engagement and distraction, and how these states can be supported by clinic designers, clinicians, staff, and child life specialists through aligning environmental design and technology interventions in the outpatient pediatric healthcare setting throughout the patient’s healthcare journey.