Background | Distraction is a form of non pharmacological intervention for reducing pain and anxiety in children during painful medical procedures (e.g., venipuncture, IV placement). Recent technological developments in the area of virtual reality (VR) provide new and potentially more effective ways of distracting children from the pain and anxiety associated with medical procedures. While initial studies of VR pain distraction are promising, few have studied the effectiveness of the technology in children, using a multi-method approach.

Study | The current study aims to recruit 240 children ages 7-21 and their caregivers who arrive at the hospital for an outpatient painful medical procedure. Children and their parents will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: 1) existing hospital standard of care or 2) standard of care plus distraction via VR. Children and caregivers will be asked to complete measures assessing pain and anxiety both before and after the procedure. In addition, objective measures of child pain and distress during the medical procedure will be taken using coding of behavioral/verbal expressions.

Objectives | 1) To determine if VR is more effective than standard care for reducing pain and anxiety in children undergoing painful medical procedures. 2) To evaluate caregiver’s assessment patient distress and satisfaction with VR compared to standard of care for patients undergoing painful medical procedures. 3) To evaluate healthcare provider's assessment of patient cooperation and their satisfaction with VR compared to standard of care.

Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria | Inclusion: English-speaking CHLA patients between ages 7 to 21 undergoing a painful medical procedure. Patients must be int he normal range of development. Exclusion: Patients will be excluded if they: 1) are currently taking pain or anxiolytic medication, 2) have a psychiatric disorder, organic brain syndrome, mental retardation, or other known cognitive/neurological disorders, 3) have visual, auditory, or tactile deficits that would interfere with the ability to complete the experimental tasks, 4) have a history of seizure disorder, 5) are experiencing flu-like symptoms, headache, or earache, or 5) have known or suspected motion sickness

Funding | Funded by AppliedVR LLC.