Learning as the best medicine: Proposal for SMART schooling for hospitalized children

This research paper explores learning alternatives for chronically ill students, considering the challenges they encounter in their learning processes due to prolonged or intermittent absences from school. International practices and recent research findings on this topic will be reviewed in the contexts of hospital schools, SMART hospitals, and SMART learning technologies to highlight their primary characteristics. The current situation of hospitalized students, particularly those in Dubai, will be discussed to propose an alternative education program to aid them: the Edu-Med Care Model. This model is built on SMART education and healthcare approaches to support the goal of helping students overcome barriers that prevent them from accessing conventional learning spaces. The strengths and limitations of the Edu-Med Care Model will be evaluated.