EXPERIENCE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF A PLAYROOM FOR CHILDREN PATIENTS BY TRAINING MEDICAL STUDENTS

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: According to Costa and Azevedo the physician patient relationship is crucial factor for diagnostic and therapeutic success and must be part of medical education. In order to teach communication skills, an intervention involving pediatric patients and students was performed. The aim of the study was to report impact of the experience with the introduction of a playroom in the training of medical students to improve communication with and management of pediatric patients. METHOD: The study was conducted in a basic health unit in Parque Industrial neighborhood, in Parnamirim city, Rio Grande do Norte state. It consisted in an interventional project, which aimed to create an environment for recreational activities in the waiting period between the appointments. The group of patients were of both sexes and the ages were between 2 and 8 years. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Contact with children in playroom contributes in many ways to the training of medical academics. The moments with the children strengthened the confidence of both students and patients, which reflected the performance of the medical examination and, with breach of the illness stigma, increased attendance of children to monthly evaluation of head circumference and weight. Last, but not least, prior contact enabled the observation of children in many important aspects for the evaluation of its development. Experiences like these give a new perspective to the training of medical students and, in the case of pediatric care, create new avenues of communication, exploration of the relationship with patients and other skills.