Fabio The Frog Gives Kids A Voice

An animated frog, who goes by the name of Fabio, is helping kids voice their opinions about their health care experience.

Fabio the Frog is a funny (and sometimes inappropriate) character in an innovative app – designed to engage audiences aged six years and above. Kids interact with Fabio through a series of animated stories intertwined with questions to provide feedback on their hospital experience.

Fabio was launched earlier this month at Christchurch Hospital as part of a six-month pilot initiated by the South Island Child Health Service Level Alliance. If the pilot is successful, Fabio will be making his way to children’s services across the South Island.At the launch, kids and their parents got to try the app for the first time. Twelve-year-old Cameron from Oamaru said it was “fun,” and his mum Leah said she has “more confidence giving feedback” and thought that “being able to type it is an advantage”.

The feedback received will be used to understand the personal experiences of children and their whānau, and to identify potential service improvements, says Graeme Webb, Quality Co-ordinator Child Health, Canterbury DHB. “We’re hoping this will be a much more engaging and fun way to give feedback – better than the discreet blues boxes in the corner of rooms that we’ve relied on in the past.”

It also provides a mechanism for a wider range of people to provide feedback. “The adult inpatient survey that runs quarterly in all DHBs is great, but it doesn’t capture the experiences of our younger patients or their parent and caregivers,” says Graeme.Fabio the Frog is currently available in two inpatient wards at Christchurch Hospital, with dental services next on his itinerary.