Documenting the value of supervised play in a pediatric ambulatory care clinic.

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that supervision of play in a pediatric ambulatory clinic would increase positive resonses and decrease negative responses in outpatients. During the control week, children played unsupervised in the unaltered clinic waiting area; selected behaviors were recorded then and during the experimental week, in which changes introduced in the clinical environment facilitated supervised play. Significant increases in positive responses and significant decreases in negative responses were noted during the experimental week (X2=474.4; p. <. 001.). A second study demonstrated that significant changes were not caused by environment alteration alone. The resultant outpatient program and its benefits are described.