The use of virtual reality during medical procedures in a pediatric orthopedic setting: A mixed‐methods pilot feasibility study

Abstract

Abstract Medical procedures cause pain and anxiety in children. Distraction techniques, including virtual reality (VR), may be used in healthcare settings to reduce rates of undertreated procedural pain and anxiety. A mixed‐methods, concurrent triangulation design was piloted at a pediatric orthopedic hospital to assess the feasibility, clinical utility, tolerability, and initial clinical efficacy of VR distraction during medical procedures received by patients with complex musculoskeletal conditions. Questionnaire, scale, interview, observation, and focus group data were collected from patients, their parents, and healthcare professionals. Triangulation of key quantitative and qualitative findings produced final themes and meta‐themes. A total of 44 patients and their parents undergoing intravenous insertions (n = 30), pin removals (n = 7), blood draws (n = 3), Botox injections (n = 2), dressing change (n = 1), and urodynamic test (n = 1) were recruited along with 11 healthcare professionals performing the medical procedures. The following themes resulted from triangulation of data sources: VR intervention was (a) feasible because VR was easily implemented into the clinical workflow, (b) clinically useful as VR was accepted by stakeholders and easy to use, (c) tolerable as VR caused minimal discomfort, and (d) showed initial clinical efficacy in managing procedural pain and anxiety. These findings will inform policies and procedures for VR use in practice and a sustainable implementation across the [name of hospital removed for peer review] network.

Keywords

• adolescents
• children
• distraction
• musculoskeletal conditions
• procedural anxiety
• procedural pain