Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36384326›Full record

ArticleQualitative health research2023

More Than Just an Entertainment Show: Identification of Medical Clowns' Communication Skills and Therapeutic Goals.

Orit Karnieli-Miller, Orna Divon-Ophir, Doron Sagi, Liat Pessach-Gelblum, Amitai Ziv, Lior Rozental

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Qualitative health research, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Constructing knowledge and moral skills through hospital clown interventions: a qualitative study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Orit Karnieli-Miller58408Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-5790-0697
Orna Divon-Ophir26744Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
Doron Sagi26744Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
Liat Pessach-Gelblum26744Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
Amitai Ziv58408Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Lior Rozental58408Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.ORCID 0000-0003-4338-2814
Sheba Medical Center · ILTel Aviv University · IL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Medical clowns (MCs) are trained professionals who aim to change the hospital environment through humor. Previous studies focused on their positive impact and began identifying their various skills in specific situations. When placed in pediatrics, MCs face various challenges, including approaching frustrated adolescents who are unwilling to cooperate with their care, dealing with their anxious parents, and communicating in a team in the presence of other health professionals. Research that systematically describes MCs' skills and therapeutic goals in meeting these challenges is limited. This article describes a qualitative, immersion/crystallization study, triangulating between 26 video-recorded simulations and 12 in-depth-semi-structured interviews with MCs. Through an iterative consensus-building process we identified 40 different skills, not limited to humor and entertainment. Four main therapeutic goals emerged: building a relationship, dealing with emotions, enhancing a sense of control, caring, and encouragement, and motivating treatment adherence. Mapping MCs' skills and goals enhances the understanding of MCs' role and actions to illustrate their unique caring practices. This clarification may help other healthcare professionals to recognize their practices and the benefits in involving them in care. Furthermore, other health professionals may apply some of the identified skills when faced with these challenges themselves.

Indexed as

EmotionsGoalsAdolescentChildCommunicationHealth PersonnelHumansQualitative Researchcommunication skillsconnecting to patientsmedical clownsqualitativetherapeutic goals

Identifiers

PMID36384326
PMCPMC9827496
OpenAlexW4309246228

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.