General Session VI - Pelvic Venous Disorders and Venous Thromboembolism
Quickshot: Usage of Virtual Reality Headsets During Office-Based Procedures to Lower Patient Anxiety and Pain
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
2:55 PM – 3:01 PM EST
Location: Tampa Bay Ballroom Salons 1-4
Objective: With the rise of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, many researchers are applying them to office-based procedures to improve patient experience. To better understand how VR headsets can reduce anxiety, divert patients' attention, and decrease pain, we conducted a study using VR headsets for office-based venous procedures
Methods: Patients scheduled for an office-based procedure were asked to participate in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups: Group 1 used VR during the procedure, and Group 2 was the control. Verbal surveys of the patient's anxiety, enjoyment, and pain level (on a 1-10 scale, 10 = maximum), were taken before, during, and after the procedure, as well as heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Once the procedure concluded, the patients then completed a questionnaire that determined how they felt during the procedure, with or without the VR.
Results: There were 17 participants; 10 had VR, and 7 patients didn’t have VR. 7 patients were males, and 10 were females with an age range between 40-78. Patients that used VR heart rate increased by 1.26% from baseline and their SBP by 0.55%. The control group's heart rate increased by 3.11% from baseline and their SBP increased by 4.25%. During the procedure, the average anxiety level for patients with VR was 2, and for those without VR was 4.57. The average pain level during the procedure for patients with VR was 2.6, and those without VR were 5. During the procedure, patients without VR noted an average enjoyment to be 1.86, whereas those with VR enjoyment averaged to be 7.2
Conclusions: All patients who used VR indicated it reduced their anxiety and would recommend it to friends. 90% of patients who used VR indicated they would use it again. 85.71% of the patients without VR would consider using VR during surgery. This study demonstrates how Virtual Reality headsets can improve patient experience during venous procedures by reducing anxiety and pain.
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