A randomized controlled trial: child life services in pediatric imaging.

Background: Children undergoing procedures in pediatric health care facilities and their families have been shown to benefit from psychosocial services and interventions such as those provided by a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). The comprehensive impact of a CCLS in a pediatric imaging department is well recognized anecdotally but has not been examined in a prospective or randomized controlled fashion.

Objective: We prospectively assessed the impact of a CCLS on parent satisfaction, staff satisfaction, child satisfaction, and parent and staff perceptions of child pain and distress in a pediatric imaging department.