“Love is the best medicine”: reimagining pediatric hospitalization through child- and family-centered care
Keywords:
Humanization of Assistance, Patient-Centered Care, Pediatrics, Hospitalization, Child, FamilyArticle Sidebar
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Pediatric hospitalization involves not only treatment but also exposing the child to an unfamiliar environment, which may increase fear, anxiety, and depersonalization of care. This article describes an experience of transformation in pediatric practice, highlighting how humanization interventions contribute to the well-being of children with serious illnesses and their families, and aims to integrate emotional well-being into clinical practice. The program EL AMOR ES LA MEJOR MEDICINA (love is the best medicine) seeks to create a supportive environment that complements traditional care, promoting emotional, psychological, and social well-being through playful, artistic, and affective initiatives. This experience highlights the power of empathy and compassion as essential pillars of meaningful care, seeking to care not only through knowledge but also through our being, moving from disease-centered care toward a model centered on the patient's human experience.
Juan Pablo Restrepo-Jiménez, University of Valle
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3063-257X
Universidad del Valle, Department of Pediatrics, Cali, Colombia.
Hospital Universitario del Valle Evaristo García, Coordinator of the General Pediatrics Unit, Cali, Colombia.
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