Meaningful-engagements with online museum collections for children with chronic health conditions

Abstract

Recent research shows that children with chronic health conditions (CCH) often confront challenges that affect their daily activities and quality of life. As a result, in many cases, they experience high levels of stress. Research suggests that programs designed to reduce stress may help CCH and improve their quality of life. This article will support these recent findings by presenting a new concept and method (still in its pilot stage) that may help to reduce stress through a well-defined interactive process for CCH, designed to empower them and improve their quality of life. In order to better understand the concept and its context, this article will initially discuss a community outreach program, entitled 'OMSI' - Online Museum for Self Improvement. OMSI represents a new concept for an interactive online museum that is comprised of wellbeing techniques, works of art chosen from digitalized museum collections and activities that adopt an interactive exhibition approach. Moving on, the article will present STORIA, the case study that provided the inspiration for OMSI followed by a discussion regarding the pilot exhibition, 'Heroes of Today'. This exhibition focuses on empowering CCH and reducing their levels of stress through the utilization of a meaningful-engagement activity entitled, "Create Your STORIA". Following this, the article will discuss the relationship between art/images and wellbeing / empowerment. The discussion will include literature related to a recent case study entitled, 'Art at the Bedside' which was conducted in Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY. This case study used images of museum art works on tablets to create conversations with patients and their families; the results showed an improvement in the quality of life of hospitalized patients. Thereafter, the article will discuss the relationship between art/images and its effect on the brain, including literature related to the interplay between imagination, images and mirror neurons. The article will conclude with a presentation of the proposed next steps for the OMSI pilot, which aims to empower CCH.