Gaming and virtual reality technology are becoming an important part of treatment for sick kids.
Methodist Children's Hospital is among a handful of hospitals in the nation leading the way.
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For children in hospitals, games are one of the only ways for them to escape.
Games help them forget, if even for a moment, that they are sick and stuck in a hospital.
Games can help them overcome fear of unfamiliar procedures and help build relationships with caregivers that lead to better outcomes.
The technology brings joy and fun to an experience that is not fun.
Patient Technology Specialist
Key to the hospital's successful use of VR is Alexander Pereira, the hospital's patient technology specialist.
Currently, there are only three patient technology specialists in the entire country with two more expected to come on-line next year.
Like Pereira, the other two are funded by grants from Child's Play, a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games.
The charity works with more than 100 hospital partners.
Pereira speaks the same language as the patients -- he talks games and technology.
Pereira has a master's degree in educational technology with focus on games and education from Boise State. He said his position requires a weird skill set: Be good with kids, be good with technology. Finding the balance is important.
Almost every kid hangs out and plays games.
Through this technology, the patients recognize Pereira as a kindred spirit. They open up to him in a way that they may not open up to other healthcare professionals.
Streaming
Using the hospital's streaming cart, Pereira can stream live events held at the hospital to any kid in the hospital.
Until streaming became available, only kids who were physically able to travel to the site of the activity could participate.
These activities range from a recent performance by the Magic Theatre, to visits by costumed characters and celebrities to visits by Santa Clause during Christmas.
Any kid on any kind of device hooked to the hospital Wi-Fi can live stream the event.
On the day of the special event, Pereira goes from room to room helping kids get set up.
Kids usually have phones and parents have laptops. iPads are available for kids who don't have devices.
Pereira also uses streaming for monthly bingo games, too.
Virtual Reality
VR gives kids an escape from the hospital room.
Alhough they may be depressed from being in a hospital room, with VR they can be at a beach in Australia or in the ocean, swimming with whales.
Pereira has a special room for VR and five headsets. Pereira said he has had kids experiencing VR for two hours and they would be there longer if he would let them.
Child Life specialists refer patients to him.
Normally Pereira works with kids one-on-one to determine the right technology distraction for them. He has seen patients feeling the anxiety of having blood drawn go from freaking out about the procedure to calm after a VR session.
Though most parents may not be familiar with the technology themselves, they see the positive effect it has on their children.
One parent commented, "You made his (his son) week and completely turned his mood around."
Augmented Reality
Pereira describes augmented reality as layering the digital world over the real world.
He and the childlife specialists access it on their cell phones. In one program, animals come to life.
Pereira said augmented reality is good as an on-the-spot distraction for kids. It's attention-getting to see a cellphone image of an elephant come to life.
Bedside Interventions
As mentioned earlier, Pereira works with kids one-on-one to determine the right technology for them.
Pereira spends lot of his time in this role. He visits with the kids and then brings games to their rooms.
Pereira also spends lots of time interacting with them through the games.
For one little boy who was terminal, Pereira spent several days playing Dungeons and Dragons with him.