  This study evaluates how off-the-shelf commercial ICTs can contribute to
creating a feeling of Presence, Connectedness, and Awareness between parents
and their hospitalized child. Thematic analysis and descriptive statistics are
used to analyse qualitative and quantitative data collected through a survey of
thirty eight parents whose children were admitted to the Royal Childrens
Hospital. Through analysis of data, Presence is found to be less facilitated
through ICT than are Awareness and Connectedness. Although participants
reported that voice call on mobile phones was the most common way of
communication, their ideal was a video-chat application such as Skype, or a
combination of Skype and TV to facilitate feeling of Presence. A strong desire
to use rich media such as video-audio to help them have a greater feeling of
Presence was identified in parents responses to the questionnaire.
