The Impact of Child Life Intervention on a Clinical Vaccine Trial

Abstract

Needle-related procedures, such as vaccines, can be especially stressful for children. One children’s hospital secured funding to staff a child life specialist to provide support to patients enrolled in a vaccine trial. Data was collected to explore how participants coped through multiple nasal swabs, blood draws, and injections and the impact of providing child life support during a clinical research trial. Children supported by a child life specialist for their vaccine exhibited low distress and utilized coping strategies frequently. Participant retention was higher than expected during the clinical trial. The study findings suggest including child life specialists as part of clinical trial teams in future studies.