Effects of preoperative therapeutic play on outcomes of school-age children undergoing day surgery.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of therapeutic play on outcomes of children undergoing day surgery. Two hundred and three children admitted for day surgery were invited to participate in a randomized controlled trial. The experimental group received therapeutic play; the control group received routine information preparation.

Psychoeducational preparation of children for surgery: the importance of parental involvement.

Objective: To examine the effects of therapeutic play intervention on outcomes of children undergoing day surgery, and to highlight the importance of parental involvement in the psychoeducational preparation of children for surgery.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial, two group pre-test and repeated post-test, between subjects design was employed. Hong Kong Chinese children (7-12 years of age; n=203) admitted for elective surgery in a day surgery unit, along with their parents during a 13-month period, were invited to participate in the study.