Does clowning benefit children in hospital? Views of Theodora Children’s Trust clown doctors

Description/Abstract

This paper reports on one part of a service evaluation designed to assess the impact of clown doctors in English children’s hospitals and children’s units. With the objective to gain the opinions of Theodora Trust special clowns, senior fully trained and experienced clown doctors (n=5), and trainee clown doctors (n=7), were asked what works best and least during a clown encounter with a sick child in hospital.

Focus group meetings using the nominal group technique were held in two centres in London. The main outcome measures were the description and analysis of those factors that inhibit or enhance clown doctor encounters with sick children and their families.

The results provide five voted items of importance of what works best when a clown doctor (junior or senior) visits a sick child in hospital, including gaining the child’s consent. Five voted items of what works least best during a clown encounter, including disrespect
of hospital procedure and staff were also recorded.

The clown doctors were very supportive of the use of humour for sick children and their families in hospital, believing it to be beneficial, but were critical of some elements of the visit arrangements, including prejudice by some staff.