The Impact of Starbright World on Children Being Treated at the NIH

NCT ID: NCT00001816

Last Updated: 2008-03-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 35 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 1999-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2001-02-28

Brief Summary

This study seeks to evaluate the impact of Starbright World (SBW) on hospitalized children. SBW is a virtual environment designed to link seriously ill children into an interactive online community where they can play games, learn about their condition, or talk with other ill children who are connected to the network. Our outcome evaluation of SBW will include assessments of pain, mood (anxious, depressed and energetic), anger, loneliness, and willingness to return to the NIH for treatment of children who are being treated at NIH. They will be assessed while engaging in "normal" recreational activities (in one of two available playrooms) and while using Starbright World. In addition, we will conduct a process evaluation of the implementation of Starbright World.

Detailed Description

This study seeks to evaluate the impact of Starbright World (SBW) on hospitalized children. SBW is a virtual environment designed to link seriously ill children into an interactive online community where they can play games, learn about their condition, or talk with other ill children who are connected to the network. Our outcome evaluation of SBW will include assessments of pain, mood (anxious, depressed and energetic), anger, loneliness, and willingness to return to the NIH for treatment of children who are being treated at the NIH. They will be assessed while engaging in "normal" recreational activities (in one of two available playrooms) and while using Starbright World. In addition, we will conduct a process evaluation of the implementation of Starbright World.

Conditions

Child, Hospitalized

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Children between the ages of 8 and 21.

Currently on active protocol at NIH.

Access to playrooms on the 9th, 11th, 13th, and 14th floors.

Ability to read and understand English.

No presence of mental illness.

Ability to understand and/or perform tasks involved in using Starbright World.

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Locations

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Countries

United States

References

Bieri D, Reeve RA, Champion DG, Addicoat L, Ziegler JB. The Faces Pain Scale for the self-assessment of the severity of pain experienced by children: development, initial validation, and preliminary investigation for ratio scale properties. Pain. 1990 May;41(2):139-150. doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(90)90018-9.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 2367140 (View on PubMed)

Brennan PF, Moore SM, Smyth KA. The effects of a special computer network on caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. Nurs Res. 1995 May-Jun;44(3):166-72.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 7761293 (View on PubMed)

Izenberg N, Lieberman DA. The Web, communication trends, and children's health. Part 4: How children use the Web. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1998 Jun;37(6):335-40. doi: 10.1177/000992289803700601.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 9637896 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

99-C-0105

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

990105

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id