Efectos del clown de hospital en la calidad de vida de personas en una Unidad de Cuidados Paliativos Pediátricos Oncológicos

Objective: The aim of this research is to understand the perceptions of families about the effects of hospital clowns on the quality of life of children and families in an Oncological Palliative Care Unit of a Chilean public hospital. Method: Under a qualitative, emergent, cross-sectional design and strict ethical considerations, we used in-depth interview technique and discussion group. Sixteen mothers who went through the experience of palliative care with their children were interviewed using a script based on 6 quality of life dimensions: perception of physical activity and health, psychological state, self-esteem, family, friends and school. In addition, a discussion group was held to consolidate the topics of the analysis of the interviews. The transcripts and documents were first analyzed separately and then a data triangulation process was performed. An interpretivist paradigm guides the analysis, through discourse analysis and grounded theory techniques. Results: The discourses of participants reveal that the presence of clowns produces psychological effects on emotional regulation, as well as being a mechanism to cope with both periods of palliative care and those after death by establishing “family” ties with clowns. Likewise, both the clowns and the space they occupy in the hospital affect the construction of community in this health context, an aspect of great relevance for families in the care provided. Conclusions: The presence of clowns has impacts especially in 2 of the 6 quality of life dimensions, psychological state and family relationships, being also highly relevant in the context to deliver humanized care, helping mothers to cope with the situation during palliative care and after death of their children.