Virtual Reality Study
Feasibility and Acceptability of Virtual Reality to Reduce Perceived Pain and Anxiety Among Patients within a Hospital System
Principal Investigator: Tung Wynn, MD
Co-Investigators: Ajay Mittal, Jonathan Wakim, Drew Gill
Standard pain management protocols in adult medicine settings, in a hospital or clinic, typically rely on the use of pharmacotherapies such as acetaminophen, NSAIDs, and opioids to alleviate acute pain. Although these forms of treatment can be effective, there are growing concerns surrounding the use of opioids and the potential health risks associated with the use of pharmacotherapies under certain conditions. As a result, there is a growing demand to support limiting the use of pharmacotherapy for acute pain in favor of non-pharmacologic options. However, there are few alternative options for providing pain management in adults who often receive inadequate pain control. There is a need to find feasible and acceptable alternate forms of pain management and anxiety reduction in a hospital or clinic setting. VR is an emerging technology that provides an immersive user experience. These immersive VR experiences show promise as a tool that can reduce perceived pain and anxiety related to acute pain in an emergency room or other clinical settings. With recent advancements, VR technology is used in numerous settings, but limited research has been done thus far in adult populations.
Distraction techniques used by hospital staff help patient’s cope with injuries, hospitalization, or illness, differ based on each patient’s needs and preferences. Some common techniques used by specialists included controlled breathing, guided imagery and relaxation and passive techniques like auditory distraction, and television. Studies for each of these different techniques over the years found positive, but mostly mixed results (Koller & Goldman, 2012). There is no conclusive study suggesting that one technique supersedes others since each patient has different preferences, medical situations, behavioral needs, and developmental needs. Among the adult population, distraction proves beneficial in reducing perceived pain (Uman et al., 2013).
