What do children think about doctors' communication at the Teddy Bear Hospital?

Abstract

Aim: Excellent communication is essential for health professionals working with children. Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) is an innovative method of developing paediatric communication skills in health-care students. By exploring the child's perspective of medical students' communication at the TBH, we sought to better understand the role TBH plays in the development of the communication skills in medical students. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 children, aged 3–8 years old, who were attending a TBH run by third year medical students at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. These interviews were recorded and transcribed after which themes were generated by inducti..