BERT (Bedside Entertainment Theater) is a non-medical technique used at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital to reduce stress before surgery. It is meant to be a safer, entertaining alternative to anti-anxiety drugs, which are often given pre-anesthesia, and could affect the recovery process, or impact developing brains.
BERT is an immersive media experience, consisting of a mobile projector and large plastic screen, which attach to a bed. Patients can choose from a menu of entertainment options, from TV shows to movies to music videos.
The technology is not revolutionary. However, the drug-free approach is. ApplySci hopes that the philosophy spreads rapidly.
Click to listen to an NPR interview, with Stanford Hospital’s Jenny Gold, about BERT.