Approximately 400,000 children in the United States struggle with serious or chronic illness. In addition, a recent report from the Center to Advance Palliative Care indicates that children experiencing medical complexities are on the rise due to the increased survival rates of children born prematurely or with congenital abnormalities, as well as improved treatments for acute illnesses. As medical personnel address these challenging childhood illnesses, care providers and families must also wrestle with how to help mitigate distress and improve the quality of life for these young patients.
In early 2020, AVDF awarded a grant to Seattle Children’s Hospital to support the development of a resilience intervention known as PRISM (Promoting Resilience in Stress Management). PRISM is a skills-based intervention that targets four resilience sources – stress management, goal setting, cognitive reframing, and meaning-making – to help build resilience, alleviate distress, and improve the quality of life among adolescents and young adults facing serious illness.
The intervention is provided through an app, mPRISM, that allows patients and families to access resilience resources at any time, providing a viable way to scale the intervention for use by any patient and family who could benefit.
In September 2020, mPRISM was listed as a top 10 finalist for Fast Company’s most innovative health products of 2020. Though the award would an outstanding achievement in any year, it is an exceptional recognition in a year marked by rapid innovation and adaptation in health care.
“AVDF is pleased to support the work of the mPRISM team,” said Senior Program Officer, Annie Bryan. “And we are enthusiastic about the potential of the project to improve stress and resilience outcomes for adolescents and young adults facing serious illness.”
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