Doctors find new use for Barbie dolls in online appointments

By Isobel Williams via SWNS

She started out as a toy and there's even been a hit movie but now Barbie has found a new use - as a tool for doctors for their online appointments.

As telehealth visits have become more prevalent, doctors find it difficult to explain different movements to their patients without being able to show them in person.

New research from the University of Michigan suggests that Barbie could come to the rescue to doctors struggling to demonstrate joint movements to children.

Assistant professor Alecia Daunter was frustrated by failed attempts to explain how she wanted her patients to move, so she grabbed a Barbie off her desk and began to demonstrate what she wanted to see from the patient on the doll.

After finding the method extremely helpful, Dr. Daunter decided to test her idea on 30 children aged between four and 17 via Zoom meetings.

She said: “The Barbie I use comes with a wheelchair and can bend at almost all of her joints.

"She’s an ideal model to help show my patients how I need them to move, flex, or extend their joints.

“As I found this increasingly helpful with my own patients, some of my colleagues suggested that I should study this method to potentially share it with other physicians.”

The patients were split into two groups, one who just heard a prewritten script on what to do, and another which had a Barbie doll demonstration along with the script.

They found that all participants from the group with the Barbie doll felt that their experience was enhanced, and it was easier to understand what the physician was looking for.

The results, published in the journal PM&R, also showed that when the Barbie was used, less verbal prompting was needed from the doctor and no difference was made to appointment time.

Co-author Dr. Alyssa Cook said: “Without the Barbie doll, the patients, parents and I sometimes became frustrated when it was difficult to understand what should be demonstrated, although we always finished the session.

“When the Barbie doll was used, the patients had a better understanding of what they needed to demonstrate, and I found it easier to explain what we were looking for.

"This is something I have also found true in my daily clinical practice.”

Therefore, the researchers suggest that all doctors should try using a doll or other form of visual aid to help in the world of virtual appointments.

Dr. Daunter concluded: “It doesn’t necessarily have to be a Barbie doll. Other action figures or small wooden artist mannequins will have the same effect.

“You just need to make sure the doll has joints that can move in a way that demonstrates what is being examined.

“As telehealth becomes more prevalent, we need to adapt to make sure our patients are still receiving quality care and are at ease during their appointments.”