VR to Reduce Pain/Anxiety During Painful Procedures

Launched by CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES · Feb 11, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is investigating whether virtual reality (VR) can help reduce pain and anxiety in children during painful medical procedures, such as getting an IV, having a cast removed, or undergoing allergy testing. The goal is to see if VR can provide a comforting distraction for kids, making these experiences less stressful. The study is taking place at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and is currently looking for participants.

To be eligible for this study, children must be between the ages of 7 and 21, and they should be able to speak English (caregivers can speak Spanish). Participants will be children who are about to undergo a painful procedure but do not have any significant developmental delays or current pain medications that could affect the study. If they join, kids will use VR technology during their procedures and provide feedback about their pain and anxiety levels. This research could lead to better ways to help children cope with medical challenges, making their experiences more positive.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Inclusion Criteria for Children:
• • 1. Children who are 7-21 years old
• • 2. Children who are English speaking (caregivers may be Spanish English speaking or Spanish speaking)
• • 3. Children who are undergoing a painful medical procedure (e.g., venipuncture, IV placement, PICC lines, wound care, cast removal, botox injections) are eligible to participate in this project.
• • 4. Only children who are in the normal range of development will be recruited for this study. This will be assessed by report from the parents. The rationale for excluding patients with developmental delay is that due to their cognitive impairments, such children react to the stressors of surgery differently than do children without such developmental delay. It is unclear how such children would use the interventions included in this study, and it is likely that their responses on baseline and outcome measures will differ from children of normal developmental parameters.
• Inclusion criteria for healthcare providers:
• • 1. Healthcare providers must be 18 years old or older
• • 2. Healthcare providers must be Children's Hospital Los Angeles staff
• • 3. Healthcare providers may participate if they have witnessed and/or administered the medical procedure
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Children who are currently taking pain medication or anxiolytic medication will be excluded from this study.
• • 2. Children with a psychiatric disorder, organic brain syndrome, mental retardation, or other known cognitive/neurological disorders
• • 3. Children with visual, auditory, or tactile deficits that would interfere with the ability to complete the experimental tasks
• • 4. Children with a history of seizure disorder.
• • 5. Children currently sick with flu-like symptoms or experiencing a headache or earache.
• • 6. Children with known or suspected motion sickness