Sound Asleep. app for iPhone and iPad

This free application has been created to give information to children and their carers regarding the process of general anaesthesia.

The light-hearted animation is centred around Toby, a wise, older brother, explaining the process of ‘having an anaesthetic’ to his younger sister, Lucy. By telling her a reassuring story of his own experiences, he puts her at ease about the fact that she too needs to ‘have an anaesthetic’ and by the end of his tale, she reveals that she is no longer nervous.

The storyline has been painstakingly tailored to optimise accurate information delivery as per standards set out by relevant organisations. This will be appropriate for children undergoing anaesthesia for any purpose – surgery, scans etc. The use of animation as a contemporary tool to teach about a process is a fun, non-threatening method of incorporating different active and passive learning modes in order to maximise understanding and memory. The intention is that children and carers experience a greater element of control and preparation regarding their anaesthetic journey and will have been informed and reassured without even realising it.

Volunteers and not-for-profit organisations have spent several years making this project possible by donating money, expertise, wisdom and endless hours. It is entirely free to use. What we do ask, however, is that if the animation is to be used by a non-NHS organisation, a donation is made to the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity so that we can make sure that our children continue to be so well cared for www.noahsarkcharity.org.

We thank the following organisations and individuals for their support in the development of this animation:

The Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland

The Society of Anaesthetists of Wales

Paediatric Anaesthetists’ Group of Wales

Geldards Law Firm, Cardiff

Square Root Design Studio

Mark Davies, Application design

© Laura McClelland 2015