DOK: Enhancing Child Patient Empowerment

Abstract

In this paper we present DOK, a tangible conversation tool aimed at empowering child patients during medical triads. Current medical triads tend to exclude child patients, making them bystanders of their own illness: triads are highly wordy, cognition-heavy and mostly take place between doctor and parent. In this ongoing research we aim to develop a tool that empowers child patients by allowing them more input and initiative in the conversation. We present our theoretical backbone, point out opportunities for tangibles, and describe the current version of DOK.