Efectos de la ludoterapia en niños hospitalizados

Abstract Introduction: Play allows children to discover, experience, learn and face challenging situations such as those encountered in a children's hospitalization. Play improves the child's hospital stay and, therefore, increases the quality of care perceived by the child. Objective: To carry out a comparative review of studies on play, play activities and their benefit in the pediatric hospital setting. Materials and Method: An exhaustive literature review was performed on existing publications between 2016 and August 2022 in different databases (PSYCINFO, CINHAL, MEDLINE, PUBMED and SCIELO), combining keywords with Boolean AND and OR operators. A total of 40 articles were obtained for this review. Results: The review reveals the importance of play for child development in hospital settings. Benefits such as reduced anxiety and improved communication are discussed. Technological advances and alternative therapies are also addressed. Discussion: The studies agree with each other, emphasizing the importance of play in coping with stressful aspects of hospitalization. The relevance of recreational strategies, such as the use of toys and participation in activities to improve children's hospital experience is highlighted. Conclusions: The need to integrate play strategies into pediatric care is highlighted. The crucial role of nursing is highlighted and actions are proposed to overcome challenges, urging to translate this knowledge into practical interventions and concrete policies to improve the experience and well-being of hospitalized children. Key words: Play therapy, hospitalized child, pediatrics, Patient comfort.