• Provide the citation and attach a pdf of the article.

Brown, K., & Foronda, C. (2020). Use of Virtual Reality to Reduce Anxiety and Pain of Adults Undergoing Outpatient Procedures. Informatics, 7(3), 1o+. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics7030036

Attached PDF of the Article: Virtual Reality for Patient Care

• What is the abstract of the article?

“(1) Background: Research has demonstrated that virtual reality (VR) has reduced pain and anxiety for patients undergoing health procedures. The aim of this quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate immersive VR as a non-pharmacological intervention to reduce pain and anxiety in those adults undergoing outpatient procedures under monitored anesthesia care. (2) Methods: This quality improvement project incorporated the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model and employed a pre/post-implementation evaluation. Seven patients used VR during outpatient surgeries. Pain and anxiety scores were evaluated. (3) Results: Patients using VR exhibited lower pain and anxiety scores post-procedure compared to pre-procedure. Both patients and providers indicated high satisfaction with the VR experience. (4) Conclusions: This quality improvement project demonstrated the successful translation of research into practice. VR is a novel intervention that can reduce both pain and anxiety to improve the patient’s perioperative experience” (Brown and Foronda, 2020).

• Was the study experimental or non-experimental? Explain, tell us what made that clear.

This research study was experimental. A group of adults was given pre/post surveys related to demographics, anxiety levels, and pain levels. Following pretreatment procedures, the treatment was administered. This entailed the use of an immersive VR headset that the patient interacted with during their medical procedure. One important distinction to be made is the lack of blinding in this study and the lack of a control group. This was likely done due to the method of treatment requiring the use of a VR headset. The lack of these aspects could technically make this study truer to quasi-experimental.

• Was the research qualitative or quantitative? Again, explain.

This research was conducted quantitatively. This stems from the fact that scales with number values representing various categories were used to measure patients’ responses to the administered treatment. The Likert-type scale and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory make use of numbers that are representative of patients’ reported levels of pain and anxiety.

• What was the population studied? Why do you say that?

The population studied for this research was military veteran patients of a Southeastern United States tertiary care medical center. This is indicated in section 2.1 Site of the PDF article.

• What sample was used for this study? Explain.

The sample for this study was twelve patients that participated in pre-experimental screening. Of these twelve patients, data was only included for seven of the adult patients. Patients were all male and between the ages of 45 and 74.

• What was the method of measurement?

1. If the research was quantitative, was the measurement scale used, Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, or Ratio?

This study employed quantitative research methods. Data was recorded by using a measurement scale of the ordinal style. The categories for the level of pain and anxiety were represented using ordinal variables, wherein the categories had no set distance between one another (Patten and Newhart, 2018).

• What was the method of analysis?

1. If the research was quantitative, what statistical tools were used to analyze the data?

The data for this research study was analyzed in Microsoft Excel by making use of paired t-tests, the level of significance was represented by a p-value of p≤0.05. In addition to this, the PROMIS pain intensity scale, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and a Likert-type scale to measure patient satisfaction were employed to measure patients’ responses.

• What was the conclusion of the study?

This study found VR to be a viable solution to lessening anxiety and pain for adult patients. It was indicated that other interrelated studies have also begun to examine the possibilities VR can provide in the healthcare field. The study sought to prompt future research with the hopes of expanding integration rates of VR technologies for patient care. In addition, the study seeks to serve as a further foundation for larger research studies related to the subject.

•  Why is this study useful to you? Explain in detail.

This study demonstrates a proof of concept, that being employing virtual reality technologies outside of leisurely purposes. I feel it is exciting to see how such a technology is being examined for its potential effects upon lowering pain and affecting mental health through measuring anxiety levels. As someone passionate about expanding mental health awareness I feel this is a great step in pursuing possible solutions to combating the negative effects upon mental health that serious surgical procedures can have on an at-risk patient. In addition, I look to become an iOS or Android developer following my graduation and I feel VR and augmented reality (AR) have demonstrated they are here to stay for the foreseeable future. I feel possessing knowledge of these technologies will be paramount to expanding software solutions to various fields of study.

• What would be the next logical step in extending this study?

The next logical step would be to expand upon the sample size for a similar study. This study was rather limited in its sampling size and as such has limited generalizability to a larger population. Gathering a more random and representative sample could help facilitate such generalizations to a larger population. In addition, examining the possibility of applying a similar approach with AR technologies could also be important. Such an approach could seek to alleviate the physical constraints the VR system ran into while in the operating room, things such as the viewing screen being moved or the headset being difficult to adjust during a procedure. AR technology would present a solution that could have a more hands-off approach seeing as a solution other than a headset could be used. One such medically related example of AR technology was a hospital’s choice to replace the ceiling tiles with an interactive AR experience in their recovery rooms. I feel this would be something to consider for the operating rooms when patients are undergoing surgery that requires the patient to be awake during surgery.

References

Brown, K., & Foronda, C. (2020). Use of Virtual Reality to Reduce Anxiety and Pain of Adults Undergoing Outpatient Procedures. Informatics, 7(3), 1o+. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics7030036

Patten, M. L., & Newhart, M. (2018). Understanding research methods: An overview of the Essentials. Routledge.