UCSF’s new KittenScanner lets pediatric patients pretend to be radiologists in waiting room
Specialists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) are going above and beyond to provide pediatric patients with a positive imaging experience.
For example, a waiting room at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital’s new Mission Bay facility now features a KittenScanner, a “scale model of an imaging machine with four plush foam ‘patients’ available to be scanned.” Each plush patient has its own unique medical history and chart, which appear on a TV screen when the toy is placed inside the scanner.
UCSF shared detailed information about the new addition on its website, saying it is part of the university’s continued effort to make imaging exams less stressful for young patients. That effort also includes “patient-friendly scan suites with room-size murals, moving images projected on the inside of the machine and music and sound effects.”
“So far, feedback from parents, pediatric patients and staff alike has been overwhelmingly positive,” the website reads.
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Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.