Research on HealthCare Clowning

PROJECTS

Health Care Clowning

Study of healthcare clowning interventions in Hospitals

HealthCare Clowning Research - Internacional Network

YEARS: 2010-2016

Health Care Clown Pathways

REFERENCE: 2019-1-IT01-KA202-007541-CUP G35G19000070006

YEARS: 2019-2021

REFERENCE: FCT SFRH/BD/80378/2011

Healthcare clowning is an umbrella term for a wide range of activities clowns undertake in healthcare, ranging from children’s hospitals to old folks’ homes, playing near the bedside, or accompanying medical procedures.

I have conducted several research studies on the role of hospital clowns for children and I was involved in the creation of the International Network of HEALTHCARE CLOWNING RESEARCH (HCRI+), which is dedicated to the scientific study of healthcare clowning. Our network of researchers included partners from Portugal (Iscte-IUL, Minho University), Spain, Brazil, Italy, and the Netherlands). H-CRIN+’s mission is to promote the scientific study of healthcare clowning by examining multidisciplinary theoretical approaches that contribute to a better understanding of healthcare clowning interventions. It also aims to identify the best practices in this area.

The research in hospital clowning has been further deepened in a master's dissertation by Sara Fernandes and a doctoral thesis by Ana Sofia Melo, both of which received support from Operação Nariz Vermelho. The thesis was funded from the FCT

TEAM IN THE H-CRIN+

2010-2016: HealthCare Clowning Research - Internacional Network (H-CRIN+).

Portugal: Patrícia Arriaga (Cis-IUL, ISCTE), Sara Fernandes (Cis-IUL, ISCTE), Susana Caires (Universidade do Minho, Braga), Ana Sofia Melo (Univ. Minho)

Spain: Gloria Garcia de la Banda (Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de las Islas Baleares-UIB), Esperança Ponsell (Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería y Fisioterapia, UIB), Victoria Meisel (Facultad de Psicología, UIB), Karin Chellew (Facultad de Psicología, UIB), Antonio Fernández-Coca (Universidad de las Islas Baleares-UIB), Ana Coll (Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de las Islas Baleares), Marilén Sansó (Hospital Son Llatzer), Ana Mª Rubio Batanas (Hospital de Inca), Juan M. Ortigosa (University of Murcia), Lívia Garcia (Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de La Laguna), Dolores Frías Navarro (University of Valencia)

Italy: Laura Vagnoli (Anna Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy),

Netherland: Sibe Doosje (University of Utrech)

ANA SOFIA MELO Thesis

SUPERVISORS
Susana Caires (Minho University)
Patrícia Arriaga (ISCTE-IUL)

COLLABORATION WITH

The Health Care Clowning Pathways project is a Strategic Partnership supporting innovation in the Educational and Vocational Training Sector (VET) for Health Care Clowns.

GOALS:

Design, test, and validate a training proposal, aimed at defining the competencies requested to work as Healthcare Clown in a sharing and transferable manner at the European level; proposing the European level training standards to obtain the qualified profession as Healthcare Clown, referring to ECVET and EQF Systems.

European Guidelines regarding the Qualification of Health Care Clown were developed.