Annually in the US, over 12,500 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. Youth
with cancer undergo numerous procedures, clinic visits, and hospitalizations as part of their
treatment and are often hospitalized or frequently come to clinic for procedures and
treatment. These events can be distressing and can contribute to a range of negative
emotional and/or psychological outcomes. In younger children, coping with distress and
anxiety is mediated by their level of cognitive development and affective regulation. Child
Life Specialists assist patients and their families during medical experiences by providing
individualized educational and emotional support. Distraction techniques, usually performed
by Child Life professionals, appear to be better suited to the cognitive abilities of young
children, however, the degree to which distraction results in long-term reductions of child
distress has not been well-established. Parent(s)/families are also important factors to
consider since they are often active in day-to-day care of pediatric cancer patients. Studies
have shown that parents have an active role in supporting and training their children during
procedures and aiding in interventions and/or during evaluations.
Multisensory toys involving audiovisual, kinesthetic, and tactile senses, requiring a
player's active cognitive, motor, and visual skills, have been utilized as an active
distraction technique with the potential of reducing pain and anxiety. Robots are promising
interventions as they provide elements of distraction to children undergoing stressful and
painful medical procedures. In a previous feasibility study completed by the investigative
team, results demonstrate high acceptability of My Special Aflac Duck (MSAD) as a device and
as a method of distraction for children coping with treatment for pediatric cancer. In
addition, the MSAD animatronic device was shown to provide a fun distraction and was used as
a tool for expressing feelings for children with cancer in the hospital.
This is a multi-center efficacy trial coordinated through the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder
Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). Hospitals with pediatric oncology
departments will be recruited and will be responsible for the enrollment of patients to
participate in this study. All participating hospitals will have dedicated Child Life
services. Randomized assignment for this trial will be performed at the hospital level. Four
hospitals will be assigned to have patients receive the My Special Aflac Duck (MSAD)
animatronic device at study initiation and four hospitals will be assigned to not have
patients receive MSAD during the study but will receive MSAD at the end of the study.
The study plans to enroll a total of 160 patients and their parent(s)/guardian(s). Within
each hospital, 20 families will be recruited; 10 with children aged 3.00-6.99 years and 10
with children aged 7.00-10.99 years.
