Design, Evaluation, and Feasibility of a Pediatric Mentoring Program

Abstract

A chronic illness can have a significant impact on a child’s psychological and social wellbeing. Although children and their families show great ability to adapt to chronic health conditions, epidemiologic studies show that these same children display twice the prevalence of psychological symptoms when compared to children without a chronic condition. One intervention that may improve a child’s psychosocial wellbeing is a “buddy program” involving one-on-one mentorships between medical students and children diagnosed with a chronic illness. One-on-one mentoring has been shown to be successful in promoting better social, academic, and behavioral outcomes, with some follow-up studies showing these benefits to extend a year or more beyond the end of a youth’s participation in a mentoring program. The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate the feasibility of a buddy program between pediatric chronically ill patients at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix Campus.