Title: G43 - Art at the Bedside

Intro: If you've ever been in the hospital, you know that it's usually not much fun. You may have to take medicine that makes you feel lousy, have tests and are no doubt a little anxious about being there. Doctors at Mayo are working on making the hospital experience easier for patients and their families. They've embarked on a study to see if art at the bedside improves hospital stays.

"I'M MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME IN FLORIDA. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 100 DAYS BEFORE WE GET BACK THERE."

BUT BY PAINTING IMAGES OF HOME, GIVING THEM COLOR AND LIFE, KAREN BRENES CAN FORGET FOR A MOMENT THAT SHE'S IN THE HOSPITAL FIGHTING A DEADLY DISEASE.

"I'M PICTURING IT IN MY MIND, ANYWAY."

KAREN HAS MULTIPLE MYELOMA. A CANCER OF THE BLOOD FOR WHICH SHE NEEDED TWO BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS.

"I WAS HERE A WHOLE MONTH."

A MONTH WITH LITTLE ELSE TO DO THAN READ, WATCH TV AND WORRY. UNTIL TODAY.

"START WITH LINES, SHAPES AND JUST KIND OF PLAY WITH COLOR."

ART EDUCATOR MICHELE HEIDEL GUIDES PATIENTS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE ART AT THE BEDSIDE STUDY.

"OH, IT DOESN'T MATTER."

WHAT DOES MATTER, SAYS MAYO CLINIC DR. ALEXANDRA WOLANSKYJ AND HER RESEARCH TEAM, IS FINDING OUT IF THE ART EXPERIENCE REDUCES PAIN AND ANXIETY AND IMPROVES THE MOOD OF PATIENTS.

"I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD OF THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION AND THIS IS ANOTHER WAY OF TAPPING INTO THAT."

"IT'S A WAY OF GETTING YOUR MIND OFF THE MEDICINE, THE NEEDLES, THE TESTS."

A WINDOW TO A WORLD YOU CREATE WHERE SOME OF THE STRESSES OF BEING IN THE HOSPITAL CAN BE BRUSHED AWAY.

"ANY DIVERSION FROM LYING IN BED AND THINKING ABOUT, JUST, THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IS A GOOD THING."

"I PAINTED A TREE. TWO TREES. AND COUPLE OF BIRDS. THAT WAS FUN."

FOR MEDICAL EDGE, I'M VIVIEN WILLIAMS.

Tag:Karen says she's not an artist, but even doodling can help distract you from the worries of being in the hospital. And if patients are too sick to paint, they can simply watch the artist paint for them. Dr. Wolanskyj is hopeful that after the study is complete, they will be able to offer other types of art, such as music and creative writing to patients. This project is sponsored by the Mayo Clinic Center for Humanities in Medicine.

For more information, visit our Website at www.mayoclinic.org/medical-edge.

STATIONS: Per the licensing agreement, please provide link from your station's website to http://www.medicaledge.org or voice tag "mayoclinic.org/medical-edge" for more information.