{"id":23113,"date":"2019-07-25T20:43:05","date_gmt":"2019-07-25T20:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/medgoo.com\/?p=23113"},"modified":"2019-07-25T20:43:13","modified_gmt":"2019-07-25T20:43:13","slug":"how-virtual-reality-is-changing-patient-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/2019\/07\/25\/how-virtual-reality-is-changing-patient-care\/","title":{"rendered":"How Virtual Reality is Changing Patient Care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Virtual reality (VR) began as a playful\ndistraction, carrying us out of real life and into a computer-generated world of our choosing. These high-tech games\nand entertainment gave us a new way to <em>see<\/em> things. Today,\nthe medical community is exploring VR\u2019s ability to change how we <em>feel<\/em> things \u2013 from acute and chronic\npain to stress and anxiety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like VR gamers, patients don goggles to\nenter a multi-sensory three-dimensional environment. Unlike VR gamers, patients\nview tranquil environments that are designed to distract them from discomfort. Soothing\ndiversions range from swimming with dolphins to hiking serene mountain paths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure,\nwe need more studies before analgesics and benzodiazepines take a back seat to virtual reality \u2013 but scientific evidence\nsupporting VR is looking better every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Better Way to Manage Acute and Chronic Pain <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No one\u2019s saying that virtual reality resolves pain. It doesn\u2019t. But then (again), narcotics aren\u2019t curative either. Those little pills only alter how a patient senses pain. Gee\u2026that sounds a lot like VR! Of course, VR is non-addictive, which probably explains all the studies underway. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s\ntake a quick look at two of those studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A study published in the journal PLOS followed 30 participants suffering a variety of chronic pain disorders, including cervical spine pain, lumbar spine pain, hip pain, and abdominal pain. Each participant had a 5-minute VR session and was then asked to rate their pain level pre-VR session, during the session, and immediately following the session. Between pre-session and post-session, chronic pain reduced by an average of 33 percent.<sup>1<\/sup> <\/li><li>A Cedars-Sinai study, published online by <em>JMIR Mental Health<\/em>, examined 100 hospitalized patients with a pain score greater than 3 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Fifty patients wore VR goggles to watch calming 3D content. Post-virtual reality therapy, the patients reported a 24 percent drop in pain scores. Meanwhile, the other 50 patients viewed a 2D nature video with calming music. These patients also experienced pain reduction \u2013 but a 13.2 percent lower decrease. Addressing this study in a Cedars-Sinai press release, Brennan Spiegel, MD, director of Cedars-Sinai Health Services Research, says, \u201cWe believe virtual reality hijacks the senses, but in a good way. It creates an immersive distraction that stops the mind from processing pain, offering a drug-free supplement to traditional pain management.\u201d<sup>2<\/sup><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>FYI: There\u2019s no proof (yet) that VR is effective for lasting reductions in chronic pain.<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Coping Tool for Stress and Anxiety <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For decades, psychological research has cozied up to VR\u2019s ability to help people manage \u2013 and sometimes overcome \u2013 phobias and anxiety disorders. As far back as 1997, researchers from Georgia Tech\u00a0and Emory University used a then fledgling version of VR to treat Vietnam vets suffering from PTSD. In case you\u2019re interested, the study reported a 34 percent decrease on clinician\u2010rated PTSD and a 45 percent decrease on self\u2010rated PTSD. Even better, treatment gains were holding steady at 6\u2010month follow\u2010ups.<sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s new in the ever-evolving mix\nof mental health and VR is the technology\u2019s apparent ability to reduce anxiety,\nstress, and agitation linked to medical procedures, from routine wound dressing\nand needle sticking to crippling fear before and after a procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In essence, these VR programs mimic meditation-based therapies. A big difference is that VR needs no practice, which is a big reason Inova Mount Vernon Hospital (IMVH), in Alexandria, VA, finds it particularly helpful in its Emergency Department. In an IMVH press release, Rett Embrey, Chairman of the ED, IMVH, says, \u201cAny ED visit can be stressful, especially for children. And pain \u2013 or even the thought of pain \u2013 is often one of the chief concerns of any patient. Pain and anxiety are also known to have a negative effect on the patient experience and health outcomes in any hospital setting,\u201d Dr. Embrey adds. \u201cIf we can effectively manage these issues without resorting to long-working medications \u2013 which introduce new risks \u2013 just to solve a very short-term need, the value of that treatment option speaks for itself.\u201d<sup>5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specific to junior patients, the Lucile Packard Children&#8217;s Hospital Stanford initiated a program called Chariot \u2013 short for Childhood Anxiety Reduction through Innovation and Technology. In the Hospital\u2019s YouTube video, a young boy, who severely injured his arm, seems oblivious to a dressing change \u2013 the very same procedure that was impossible without sedation before the young patient was introduced to \u00a0VR.<sup>6<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Running\u00a0 with this hospital-centric VR application, XRHealth and Healing Healthcare Systems, Inc., two strong players in VR and healthcare programming, hope to put this technology beside as many hospital beds as possible. \u201cHospitals realize that providing a comforting experience for patients is crucial so that they are both relaxed and engaged during medical procedures, hospitalizations, or other clinical events,\u201d says XRHealth CEO Eran Orr in a statement. And according to Orr, VR hands hospitals a nice financial prize. \u201cVR solutions gives hospitals a competitive advantage by offering their patients cutting edge solutions that drastically improve the patient experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what\u2019s next in the world of VR specific to healthcare? It\u2019s virtually unlimited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resources<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1)<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5172565\/\"> Jones T, Moore T, Choo J. The Impact of Virtual Reality on Chronic Pain. <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5172565\/\">PLoS One<\/a><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5172565\/\">. 2016;11(12):e0167523. Published 2016 Dec 20. doi:10.1371\/journal.pone.0167523.  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2) <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. (2019, June 10). Sinai Study Finds Virtual Reality Therapy Helps Decrease Pain in Hospitalized Patients.   (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cedars-sinai.org\/newsroom\/cedars-sinai-study-finds-virtual-reality-therapy-helps-decrease-pain-in-hospitalized-patients\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. (2019, June 10). Sinai Study Finds Virtual Reality Therapy Helps Decrease Pain in Hospitalized Patients.  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3)  <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Mallari B, Spaeth EK, Goh H, Boyd BS. Virtual reality as an analgesic for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.\u00a0J Pain Res. 2019;12:2053\u20132085. Published 2019 Jul 3. doi:10.2147\/JPR.S200498.  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6613199\/\" target=\"_blank\">Mallari B, Spaeth EK, Goh H, Boyd BS. Virtual reality as an analgesic for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.\u00a0<\/a><em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Mallari B, Spaeth EK, Goh H, Boyd BS. Virtual reality as an analgesic for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.\u00a0J Pain Res. 2019;12:2053\u20132085. Published 2019 Jul 3. doi:10.2147\/JPR.S200498.  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6613199\/\" target=\"_blank\">J Pain Res<\/a><\/em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Mallari B, Spaeth EK, Goh H, Boyd BS. Virtual reality as an analgesic for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.\u00a0J Pain Res. 2019;12:2053\u20132085. Published 2019 Jul 3. doi:10.2147\/JPR.S200498.  (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6613199\/\" target=\"_blank\">. 2019;12:2053\u20132085. Published 2019 Jul 3. doi:10.2147\/JPR.S200498. <\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4) <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Rothbaum, B. O., Hodges, L. , Alarcon, R. , Ready, D. , Shahar, F. , Graap, K. , Pair, J. , Hebert, P. , Gotz, D. , Wills, B. and Baltzell, D. (1999), Virtual reality exposure therapy for PTSD Vietnam veterans: A case study. J. Traum. Stress, 12: 263-271. doi:10.1023\/A:1024772308758 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1023\/A%3A1024772308758\" target=\"_blank\">Rothbaum, B. O., Hodges, L. , Alarcon, R. , Ready, D. , Shahar, F. , Graap, K. , Pair, J. , Hebert, P. , Gotz, D. , Wills, B. and Baltzell, D. (1999), Virtual reality exposure therapy for PTSD Vietnam veterans: A case study. J. Traum. Stress, 12: 263-271. doi:10.1023\/A:1024772308758<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5) <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" Inova Newsroom. (2019, June 03). Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Uses Virtual Reality to Assist With Patient Anxiety.   (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inovanewsroom.org\/imvh\/2018\/11\/inova-mount-vernon-hospital-uses-virtual-reality-to-assist-with-patient-anxiety\/\" target=\"_blank\"> Inova Newsroom. (2019, June 03). Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Uses Virtual Reality to Assist With Patient Anxiety.  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6)  <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Stanford Children's Health | Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. (2017, May 18). Blaine &quot;The Bullet&quot; and Virtual Reality.   (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=LxP3CRalH70&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\">Stanford Children&#8217;s Health | Lucile Packard Children&#8217;s Hospital Stanford. (2017, May 18). Blaine &#8220;The Bullet&#8221; and Virtual Reality.  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>7)  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mobihealthnews.com\/content\/north-america\/xrhealth-healing-healthcare-systems-ink-deal-put-relaxing-vr-hospitals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"XRHealth, Healing HealthCare Systems ink deal to put relaxing VR in hospitals. (2019, May 16).  (opens in a new tab)\">XRHealth, Healing HealthCare Systems ink deal to put relaxing VR in hospitals. (2019, May 16). <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Virtual reality (VR) began as a playful distraction, carrying us out of real life and into a computer-generated world of our choosing. These high-tech games and entertainment gave us a new way to see things. Today, the medical community is exploring VR\u2019s ability to change how we feel things \u2013 from acute and chronic pain [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[24,23],"class_list":["post-23113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","tag-healthcare","tag-virtual-reality"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23113"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23113\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medgoo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}