More Than Just an Entertainment Show: Identification of Medical Clowns’ Communication Skills and Therapeutic Goals

Abstract

Medical clowns (MCs) are trained professionals who aim to change the hospital environment through humor. Previous studies focused on their positive impact and began identifying their various skills in specific situations. When placed in pediatrics, MCs face various challenges, including approaching frustrated adolescents who are unwilling to cooperate with their care, dealing with their anxious parents, and communicating in a team in the presence of other health professionals. Research that systematically describes MCs’ skills and therapeutic goals in meeting these challenges is limited. This article describes a qualitative, immersion/crystallization study, triangulating between 26 video-recorded simulations and 12 in-depth-semi-structured interviews with MCs. Through an iterative consensus-building process we identified 40 different skills, not limited to humor and entertainment. Four main therapeutic goals emerged: building a relationship, dealing with emotions, enhancing a sense of control, caring, and encouragement, and motivating treatment adherence. Mapping MCs’ skills and goals enhances the understanding of MCs’ role and actions to illustrate their unique caring practices. This clarification may help other healthcare professionals to recognize their practices and the benefits in involving them in care. Furthermore, other health professionals may apply some of the identified skills when faced with these challenges themselves.

Do Clowns Really Taste Funny? An Investigation of the Relationship between Humor and Playfulness in Clown Doctors

“…For both of them, playfulness was positively and significantly correlated to the four lighter styles. This result is in line with recent studies that have highlighted that clowns, independent of the role they play, tend to employ gentle play and positive humor during their activity [ 7 , 37 , 38 ].…”

SIR+ models: accounting for interaction-dependent disease susceptibility in the planning of public health interventions

“…An aspect of this phenomenon that is particular to the SIR+ model may occur in the presence of a set of individuals with disproportionate influence on the acquisition of interaction-dependent health benefits. For example medical clowns, thank to their positive role in building social connections, dealing with emotions, caring and encouragement, and motivating treatment adherence 137 , can have a particular impact on H and act as ‘super-spreaders of health’. In more traditional societies, Shamans and traditional healers may have a similar role 138 .…”

Jesters of Well-Being: Examining the Relationship between Clown Doctors and Patients

“…Here, humor emerged as a very important skill even though it was one among many others. Moreover, this study outlined five primary therapeutic goals for medical clowns: fostering relationships, addressing emotions, encouraging a sense of control, providing care and encouragement, and promoting adherence to treatment [13].…”