Hospitalized Adolescents’ Use of Mobile Technologies for Learning, Communication, and Well-Being

Abstract

Hospitalized adolescents experience significant needs beyond medical treatment. They require emotional support for anxiety and stress, educational support for learning, and social support to reduce isolation. This qualitative study explored the use of mobile technologies to connect students to their schools, classmates, and families in an effort to reduce their isolation and disrupted schooling experiences. We conducted in-depth interviews with 18 hospitalized adolescents aged 12 to 18, 29 teachers, and four parents about the affordances of mobile technologies. We found that mobile technology use in a hospital school was critical to engage adolescents in learning and keep them up-to-date with schoolwork. Mobile technologies should be available and accessible in hospital for adolescent patients for the purpose of meeting their learning, communication, and well-being needs. In particular, mobile technology should be used as a therapeutic tool to overcome hospitalized adolescents’ social isolation and improve their well-being.