Exploring Virtual Reality in Clinical Care - Impacts on Patient Distress, Parental Anxiety and Nurse Satisfaction

NCT07280910 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HM20032312
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 168
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Prior experience with virtual reality (VR) in clinical care has demonstrated its potential to reduce patient anxiety and distress, particularly in pediatric settings. VR has been shown to effectively decrease preoperative anxiety in children undergoing various medical procedures, including IV catheter replacement, blood draws, and improve their compliance with anesthesia and overall procedural experiences. Limited evidence exists regarding the impact of VR on the broader care environment, including parental anxiety and nursing satisfaction in pediatric settings.

Conditions

Anxiety

Keywords

Virtual Reality; Quality Improvement; Protected Health Information; Heart Rate; Blood Pressure; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in patient anxiety levels, as measured by heart rate

  Change in patient anxiety levels, as measured by heart rate, before and after VR intervention. Baseline heart rate will be compared to the heart rate after the intervention.

  Before and after VR intervention, one visit only

• Change in patient anxiety levels, as measured by blood pressure

  Change in patient anxiety levels, as measured by blood pressure, before and after VR intervention. Baseline blood pressure will be compared to the blood pressure after the intervention.

  Before and after VR intervention, one visit only

• Change in patient anxiety levels, as measured by distress/fear scores

  Change in patient anxiety levels, as measured by distress/fear scores before and after VR intervention Baseline distress/fear scores will be compared to the distress/fear scores after the intervention. Using the Children's Fear Scale (CFS) (0-4): * 0 = no fear (good) * 4 = very high fear (bad) . Higher scores indicate worse anxiety. Anxiety levels were measured immediately before and immediately after the VR intervention).

  Before and after VR intervention, one visit only

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Parental anxiety levels

  Before and after VR intervention, one visit only

• Nurse satisfaction ratings

  Before and after VR intervention, one visit only

Study Arms (3)

Pediatric Patients

Pediatric patients receiving VR interventions (6-15 years)

Other: Virtual Reality

Parent Caregivers

Parents of Pediatric patients receiving VR interventions (6-15 years)

Behavioral: Survey Responses/Parent Caregivers

Nurses

The nursing staff are involved in the care process of the Pediatric patients receiving VR interventions (6-15 years)

Behavioral: Survey Responses/Nurses

Interventions

Virtual Reality OTHER

Administered as part of a QI initiative aimed at reducing anxiety in pediatric patients during clinical care. The intervention involved using a VR system to provide a distraction and relaxation tool during routine procedures. This approach is consistent with recent research showing that VR can be an effective tool for reducing pain and anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing medical procedures. Retrospective data collection.

Pediatric Patients

Survey Responses/Parent Caregivers BEHAVIORAL

Survey responses from parents regarding anxiety and satisfaction.

Parent Caregivers

Survey Responses/Nurses BEHAVIORAL

Survey responses from nurses regarding anxiety and satisfaction.

Nurses

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study involved pediatric patients who received VR intervention as part of the original QI initiative. Data protection and de-identification procedures were rigorously applied throughout the study

You may qualify if:

• pediatric patients who received VR intervention as part of the original QI initiative.
• pediatric patients who were eligible and received VR during the QI initiative aged 6-15 years.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with developmental delays, head injuries, or seizures were excluded from the study.
• Caregivers/Parents
• \- pediatric patients who were eligible and received VR during the QI initiative, aged 6-15 years
• \- N/A
• Nurses
• nurses of pediatric patients who were eligible and received VR during the QI initiative, aged 6-15 years
• N/A

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Virginia Commonwealth University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia, 23298, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Nurses

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health Personnel; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Officials

• Dayanjan Wijesinghe

  Virginia Commonwealth University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 1, 2025
• First Posted: December 12, 2025
• Study Start: October 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2024
• Study Completion: June 30, 2024
• Last Updated: December 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)