Pengaruh Implementasi Medical Play terhadap Tingkat Kecemasan Hospitalisasi pada Anak Prasekolah

Medical Play and Hospitalization Anxiety in Preschool Children

Abstract

Background: Hospitalization may distress preschool children when medical equipment and procedures are unfamiliar. Objective: To compare changes in observed emotional manifestations after medical play and routine care. Methods: A two-group quasi-experimental design used 60 synthetic profiles of children aged 3–6 years (30 per group). A 20-minute play session introduced a doll, toy stethoscope, and a procedure story. Outcomes used the 5–25 range of the Children’s Emotional Manifestation Scale (CEMS). Results: Mean CEMS scores changed from 18.1 ± 2.7 to 12.1 ± 3.0 in the medical play group and from 19.0 ± 2.6 to 17.9 ± 2.9 in the comparator group. The difference in mean change was -4.9 points. Conclusion: Synthetic profiles show a larger decrease in emotional distress manifestations after medical play. Effects in actual children require an ethically reviewed study with standardized observers and procedures.