Reducing stress for young patients with an LED ceiling

See the result in the video

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The challenge

Anxiety and stress among young patients

For many children, a hospital visit is an exciting and often stressful experience. Unfamiliar people in white coats. Clinical surroundings filled with unfamiliar equipment. An environment that many young patients perceive as intimidating and uncomfortable.

At Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital (CWZ), staff encountered this challenge every day. Children frequently arrived feeling nervous and anxious before treatment. CWZ therefore decided to transform its treatment room into a more welcoming environment. But how do you create a calm and reassuring atmosphere in a setting that is naturally associated with medical procedures?

The innovative solution

A playful world of digital distraction

Research has shown that distraction can be an effective way to reduce pain and anxiety in children during medical procedures. Various forms of distraction have been found to positively influence how children experience potentially painful treatments.

*Guideline on pain assessment and treatment in children by the Dutch Association of Paediatrics.

CWZ found the answer in an innovative approach. The treatment room was transformed into a playful environment with calming light-blue walls, decorated with illustrations of fish and coral reefs. But the real innovation is above the treatment bed.

AVEX installed a dynamic LED ceiling directly overhead. Instead of looking at plain white ceiling tiles, children see vibrant moving images displayed on a large LED screen. During treatment, children naturally look upwards, where they are immersed in engaging visual content. The technology helps shift their focus away from the medical procedure and into a completely different world. A world without injections, examinations or other stressful medical experiences.

“We notice that the ceiling immediately captures the attention of both young patients and their parents, shifting the focus away from the medical treatment itself. That’s exactly what we aimed to achieve with the newly designed treatment room and ceiling projection.” Thijs Kampen Head of Paediatrics, CWZ

Content designed to distract and reassure

During treatment, children don’t see boring ceiling tiles; instead, they swim amongst colourful fish through an underwater world or discover animals in the Amazon region. The video clips last around 15 minutes and have been specially created to captivate children.

The content has been carefully selected. Soothing images of the underwater world have a calming effect. The colourful animals keep their attention.

“What beautiful content! I watched it this morning with one of our nurses, and she thought it was fantastic too.” Petra de Bruijn Project Manager, CWZ

The result

More comfort, less stress

The impact was noticeable immediately. Children are more relaxed during treatment sessions. The visual content provides a welcome distraction and temporarily transports them away from the hospital environment.

The solution is also easy for healthcare staff to use. Videos can be started with a single touch, instantly changing the atmosphere within the room.

Positive feedback from both patients and healthcare professionals confirms the value of the innovation.

In April 2025, CWZ officially opened the new paediatric treatment room. The project was made possible in part through sponsorship from the Stichting Mijn Liefste Wens foundation.

The technical solution

How does a dynamic LED ceiling like this come to life?

AVEX supplied and installed:

• A sustainable LED solution based on Absen LED panels integrated into a custom ceiling construction
• Low-energy, long-lifespan LED technology
• An LED controller and user-friendly control panel
• Custom-designed, child-friendly video content
• Engineering and installation services
• AVEX Crucial Care support and maintenance services