Launch of children’s-APP at The Eye Hospital in Thailand

Rotterdam, June 15, 2012 – On Wednesday June 6, the English version of Rotterdam Eye Hospital’s special app for children was launched in Bangkok (Thailand). The launch of the ‘To the Eye Hospital’ app took place during the annual meeting of the World Association of Eye Hospitals, a global association of 21 eye hospitals, established in 2005 on the initiative of the Rotterdam hospital. Mr. Van der Kwast, Deputy Head of Mission/Head of the Political and Economic Department of the Dutch Embassy in Thailand put the app into use by playing the game from beginning to end under the guidance of Mr. Hiddema, Chairman of the Board of The Rotterdam Eye Hospital.

About the app

Every year, More than 20.000 children come to The Rotterdam Eye Hospital. If a child is afraid and starts to cry the eye specialist cannot examine him. So, the app ‘To the Eye Hospital’ was developed to help children between the ages of 3 and 11 prepare themselves for their hospital appointment. Games and tasks help the children familiarize themselves with the examinations that will be carried out by the orthoptist and eye specialist from the comfort of their own home. Result: the children feel less afraid on their first visit to the hospital. The English version of the app will now be implemented in the international network of The Eye Hospital making it possible for more than 300.000 children worldwide to prepare themselves better for their visit to an eye hospital.

Photo: from left to right. Frans Hiddema (Chairman of the Board of the Rotterdam Eye Hospital, The Netherlands), Siri Rutnin (Managing Director Rutnin Eye Hospital, Thailand), Henk Cor van der Kwast (Deputy Head of Mission/Head Political and Economic Department – Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands).

With Tommy and Tammy, the characters from the game, playing the app prepares a child in a playful manner for the treatments and examinations at the (eye) hospital.

The cheerful and light illustration style is combined with elements that can actually happen in real life. At different stages the child’s help is required. The child is asked to help Tommy to look for all the things in the house that he has to take with him to the hospital or to do an eye test and bring an image into focus by using the correct lens.

Because of the various game elements and the clear story line, the future visit to the hospital becomes predictable and therefore not as frightening.

De app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Collaborative Partners

The app was made possible by a close collaboration between The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Schouten & Nelissen, Bedrijfssimulaties.nl and The Academic Centre for Dentistry, Amsterdam (ACTA). Scientific knowledge in the area of behavioural sciences formed the basis for the app. Before the end of 2012, the app will be adapted into an ‘anti-fear-app’ for children visiting the dentist.

See for more information: www.oogziekenhuis.nl