Games+Learning+Society 12 Conference

Most children experience painful medical procedures as part of their routine health maintenance. Adults can help reduce a child’s distress through distraction coaching; a technique to divert their attention away from the painful stimulus and engage in something more rewarding. Mobile apps are widely available and a useful tool for capturing the attention of children in unique ways. The principles of Joint Media Engagement offers insights for increasing the efficacy of iPads in distraction coaching by promoting co-engagement of media that sustains a child’s attention during painful medical procedures.