Virtual Reality and Standard Care vs. Standard Care Alone for Acute MSK Pain in Geriatric ED Patients

Launched by ANTONIOS LIKOUREZOS · Nov 11, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether using virtual reality (VR) can help reduce pain and anxiety for elderly patients (aged 65 and older) who come to the emergency department with acute musculoskeletal pain, which refers to pain in muscles, bones, or joints. The trial will compare standard pain management practices with standard care plus VR therapy to see if VR can enhance pain relief and improve overall patient satisfaction. Researchers will be looking for nearly 200 eligible patients who have a pain score of 4 or higher and need additional pain relief.

If you or a loved one qualify for this study, you would be randomly assigned to either receive the usual care for pain or to receive the usual care plus a VR experience designed specifically for older adults. Participants will be monitored over two years to assess how well VR works in managing pain and reducing stress in a busy emergency department environment. This study aims to find out if VR can be a helpful tool for elderly patients experiencing pain, leading to better care in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • age of 65+
• • Emergency Medicine patients
• • non traumatic musculoskeletal painful condition
• • pain score of 4+ on the numeric rating scale
• • patient will warrant parenteral analgesia per treating physician
• • patient will have to be awake, alert, and oriented to person, place, and time.
• • comprehension of informed consent process and study related content
• • ability to complete assessments
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • painful syndrome requiring emergent and/or urgent pain control
• • altered mental status
• • unstable vital signs
• • history of recent epilepsy
• • seizure disorder
• • vertigo
• • active headache
• • nausea
• • motion sickness
• • dizziness