@article{ref1,
title="Exploring the usefulness of medical clowns in elevating satisfaction and reducing aggressive tendencies in pediatric and adult hospital wards",
journal="BMC health services research",
year="2021",
author="Efrat-Triester, Dorit and Teodorescu, Kinneret and Margalit, Dalit Lev-Arai and Friedmann, Enav and Altman, Daniel",
volume="21",
number="1",
pages="e15-e15",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Most existing research on medical clowns in health care services has investigated their usefulness mainly among child health consumers. In this research  we examined multiple viewpoints of medical staff, clowns, and health consumers  aiming to identify the optimal audience (adult or child health consumers) for which  medical clowns are most useful. We focused on exploring their usefulness in  enhancing health consumers' satisfaction and, in turn, reducing their aggressive  tendencies. <br><br>METHODS: We conducted three studies that examined the placement fit of  medical clowns from different points of view: medical staff (Study 1, n = 88),  medical clowns (Study 2, n = 20), and health consumers (Study 3, n = 397). The main  analyses in Studies 1 and 2 included frequencies and t-tests comparing perceived  adult and child satisfaction with clowns' performance. Study 3 used  moderated-mediation PROCESS bootstrapping regression analysis to test the indirect  effect of negative affectivity on aggressive tendencies via satisfaction. Exposure  to the medical clown moderated this relationship differently for different ages. <br><br>RESULTS: Studies 1 and 2 show that the majority of medical clowns and medical staff  report that the current placement of the medical clowns is in pediatric wards; about  half (44% of medical staff, 54% of medical clowns) thought that this placement  policy should change. In Study 3, data from health consumers in seven different  hospital wards showed that clowns are useful in mitigating the effect of negative  affectivity on satisfaction, thereby reducing aggressive tendencies among health  consumers under the age of 21.6 years. Surprisingly, medical clowns had the opposite  effect on most adults: for health consumers who were exposed to the medical clown  and were above the age of 21.6 negative affectivity was related to decreased  satisfaction, and an increase in aggressive tendencies was observed. <br><br>DISCUSSION:  Medical clowns are most useful in elevating satisfaction and reducing aggressive  tendencies of children. Older adults, on the other hand, exhibit lower satisfaction  and higher aggressive tendencies following exposure to the performance of medical  clowns. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Medical clowns should be placed primarily in children's wards.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1472-6963",
doi="10.1186/s12913-020-05987-9",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05987-9"
}