‘Hideaway’ Boosts Children's Resilience During Hospitalization

DOQ.nl published an article about the online 'hide-and-seek' game developed by industrial designer Kim Boltjes for children hospitalized in the hospital. Earlier this year, she won a Young Medical Delta Thesis Award for her work.

She devised the e-health solution on behalf of the Hospital Hero Foundation and in co-creation with children. The game helps children resiliently cope with challenges in the hospital.

During her Industrial Design Engineering studies at Delft University of Technology, Kim Boltjes became acquainted with Hospital Hero. The foundation's mission is to reduce stress and anxiety in children aged four to ten undergoing medical procedures. This is done through a (free) app that explains to children what they can expect. Thus, a visit to the hospital becomes less daunting. Boltjes said, “I wanted to contribute to the most comfortable hospital experience possible for children. That's why I was happy to design an online game for Hospital Hero as my graduation assignment.”

Innovating with Children

Throughout the research phase and the design and development process, she continuously consulted with children, their parents, healthcare providers, and experts. Children in the hospital provided input for the initial designs, which were then tested by children in elementary school. “Hospitals are paying increasing attention to the emotional impact of hospitalization on children,” says Boltjes. “I hope they collaborate with children to come up with solutions. Because innovation is done together with children.”

Read the full article from DOQ here (NL).

Download Kim Boltjes' thesis here.