The Value of Certified Child Life Specialists
The goal behind the Child Life Value Proposition, The Value of Certified Child Life Specialists: Direct and Downstream Optimization of Pediatric Patient and Family Outcomes, was to create an evidence-based argument for the positive impact of child life services for youth, families, and organizations.
References to outcomes associated with child life profession are dispersed across publication outlets, intervention types, and program models and our goal with value proposition statement has been to pull that information together to clearly communicate the value of child life specialists.
Read the Executive Summary here.
Value Drivers of a Certified Child Life Specialist
CCLSs significantly reduce the financial, developmental, and psychological costs associated with stress, pain, and anxiety that can persist far beyond initial healthcare encounters.
Read the full report in the Child Life Value Proposition Statement.
Methodology
Systematic literature review, with assessment of opportunities for meta-analytics and cost-modeling.
Data Collection Methods
Exhaustive identification of child life interventions and services, review of child life textbooks, articles since 1997, Child Life Focus/ACLP Bulletin, and ACLP forums to identify topic areas for review.
Articles identified through systematic searches of: PubMed, CINAHL, MedLine, PsycInfo, Proquest, EBSCOhost, and all articles including the terms “child life specialist” or “child life therapist” published since 1997.
Market Research
Presentation of value drivers to: Beryl Institute CEO, Jason Wolf, COO and CFO of hospital systems, Internal and external physician stakeholders, Statistical consultation.
Development of Executive Summary and Full Report
Solicitation of Feedback: ACLP Board, Child Life Focus/ACLP Bulletin Editors, Past Presidents' Forum, Related organizational executives, Physicians/Executives/Business Administrators, Academics Professionals (in and outside of child life), Professional writers/editors.
Meet the Authors
Ten experts in child development contributed to The Value of Certified Child Life Specialists: Direct and Downstream Optimization of Pediatric Patient and Family Outcomes.