Pediatric Anesthesia Providers’ Perspective on the Real-Life Implementation of the Philips Visual Patient Avatar: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

The Philips Visual Patient Avatar represents an alternative method of patient monitoring that, according to computer-based simulation studies, enhances diagnostic accuracy and confidence and reduces workload. After its clinical integration, we assessed pediatric anesthesia providers’ perspectives on this technology. This is a single-center qualitative study, conducted at the University Hospital Zurich using in-depth individual interviews. We aimed to identify the advantages and limitations of the Visual Patient Avatar in pediatric anesthesia and to assess children’s and parents’ reactions from caregivers’ perspectives. Thematic analysis was used to identify the dominant themes. Fourteen members of the institution’s pediatric anesthesia team were interviewed. The most prevalent themes were children’s positive reactions towards the Visual Patient Avatar (92.9%) and enhanced speed in problem identification (71.4%). Additionally, 50% of participants reported finding the Visual Patient Avatar useful for diverting children’s attention during anesthesia induction, and 50% suggested that its vital sign thresholds should be adaptable for different age groups. The study revealed that the Visual Patient Avatar was recognized as a tool in pediatric anesthesia, enabling prompt identification of underlying issues and receiving positive feedback from both children and parents. The most commonly voiced wish for improvement in the study was the ability to customize the Visual Patient Avatar’s thresholds for different age groups.

Keywords

• pediatric anesthesia
• situation awareness
• user-centered design
• patient monitoring
• Visual Patient Avatar
• qualitative research