Effects of Animated Cartoon Information on Cooperation and Preparation Time in Preschool Children with Congenital Heart Disease Undergoing Cardiac Catheterization: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Cardiac catheterization is a threatening condition that affects pediatric patients physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Therefore, emotional and psychological preparation is essential to enhance cooperation and reduce the time required for preparation before cardiac catheterization. This quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of providing information accompanied by cartoon animation on cooperation and preparation time for cardiac catheterization among preschool-aged children with congenital heart disease. A total of 70 children were purposively recruited based on the inclusion criteria. The first 35 children were assigned to the control group and received routine nursing care. The remaining 35 children were placed in the experimental group, receiving animated cartoon information regarding cardiac catheterization in addition to routine care. Data were collected using the Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Questionnaire, as well as the Thai version of the Children’s Emotional Manifestation Scale (CEMS). Descriptive statistics and Quade’s nonparametric ANCOVA were used for data analysis. The results showed that the experimental group demonstrated a significantly higher level of cooperation than the control group. Additionally, the experimental group had a significantly shorter average preparation time for cardiac catheterization than the control group. Therefore, pediatric nurses can use this program as a guideline to effectively provide information that enhances cooperation and reduces the preparation time for cardiac catheterization in preschool children with congenital heart disease. However, further studies using a larger sample size across multiple sites are needed before it can be widely applied.