Recent research has suggested that adding medical clowns to a multidisciplinary care team (in this study, specific to cases of pneumonia) may reduce physical and emotional stress on children and their families. One theory proposes that the practice of medical clowning helps to alleviate stress and anxiety, improves psychological adjustment to the hospital environment and allows patients to better participate in treatment plans like adherence to oral antibiotics and fluids.
But not just any clown can work in a hospital; these individuals are professionally trained in various techniques to relax patients – including music, singing and guided imagination, shared in 15-minute visits per day. The ultimate hope? Improving the experience of young patients—and lifting the burden on pediatric hospital care.