The Pedagogical role at the Meyer Children’s Hospital: A case study of an integrated care model

This investigation examines the pedagogical role within pediatric contexts through a case study of the Meyer University Hospital. The study is informed by the transformation of contemporary healthcare systems toward a holistic, person-centered, and systemic approach. The objective is to move beyond a fragmented approach to care by fostering an integrated model. This involves promoting interventions that support the child and family throughout the entire clinical pathway and into subsequent phases, thereby ensuring educational and therapeutic continuity after discharge. The primary purpose of this study is to define the professional profile of the hospital pedagogist, a specialist capable of effectively mediating between the educational and healthcare domains so as to manage the complexity at the intersection of health, school, and community. The research employed a mixed-methods, exploratory single-case study design at the Meyer Children’s Hospital in Florence. Methodologically, it involved a six-month internship utilizing participant observation, documentary analysis, 22 semi-structured interviews, and a thematic focus group with key stakeholders. The most outstanding results portray the hospital pedagogist’s role as a dynamic and systemic construct operating at micro, meso, and macro levels. This professional is conceptualized as a director of complex processes, requiring a multifaceted competency profile in pedagogical design, coordination, communication and reflection.