Sick Kids Friends Foundation Donates ditto™ to Scotland's Royal Hospital for Sick Children

NEW YORK, February 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- Edinburgh hospital gets device proven to reduce anxiety, lower treatment times and improve outcomes in pediatric patients

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children is one of the latest medical facilities to receive Diversionary Therapy Technologies' (DTT) groundbreaking ditto™ device. Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, the facility is devoted solely to pediatric care and also known as the Royal Hospital for Sick Kids. The machine was donated to the hospital by The Sick Kids Friends Foundation, which supports the hospital.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120124/NY41361LOGO-b )
(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120124/NY41361-a )

DTT's ditto™ device uses diversionary therapy to lower anxiety in children prior to and during otherwise painful, traumatic procedures. The concept behind the device is to incorporate the latest research on using distraction and educational techniques simultaneously to reduce stress. The ditto™ uses augmented reality, a multi-modal sensory-based distraction medium, to engage children. Its interactive touch screen, colorful marker keys and response to physical movement distinguish the ditto™ from traditional video game systems.

The device includes a variety of interactive games, stories and procedural preparation tools. Handheld and waterproof, the ditto™ is portable and easy-to-operate for children of all ages.

"We find the ditto™ very helpful for diversional therapy as the children pick up the ditto™ and are able to use it very quickly after a brief explanation," says Hilary Taylor, a staff nurse at the hospital. She says that children ages five through eight respond best to the games, while younger children use it with a parent, and enjoy the music, stories and procedural explanations.

The ditto™ is proven to reduce stress and anxiety, lower treatment times, and improve patient outcomes. In fact, it was developed with doctors, surgeons, nurses, play specialists, and animation experts over the course of six years. Eight independent randomized clinical trials have proven the efficacy of ditto™ and its technology. Fresh content continues to be added to the range of programs available.

Taylor says that approximately 12 to 14 patients are seen daily at the facility, which has been using the ditto™ for a few months.  The device is used in the plastic dressing clinic on children that experience burns, scalds and other similar injuries.

About Diversionary Therapy Technologies

Diversionary Therapy Technologies is a global company headquartered in Australia that masterminded the development of ditto™ portable device.  DTT worked with The Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, to create the handheld, waterproof device that is used prior to and during painful medical procedures to reduce children's anxiety. Learn more at http://www.dtt.net.au.

About The Royal Hospital for Sick Children and Sick Kids Friends Foundation

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children has been caring for children and young people in the Lothians and beyond for over 150 years. The 266-bed hospital, also known as Sick Kids, is part of NHS Lothian's University Hospitals Division. The Sick Kids Friends Foundation was set up in 1992 to support the work of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. The Hospital receives over 100,000 children through its doors each year from all over the East of Scotland. Learn more at http://www.nhsggc.org.uk.