Feasibility of a Multimodal Virtual Reality Intervention to Reduce Preoperative Anxiety in Cancer Surgery Patients

University of Manitoba

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Oncologic Surgery

Treatments: Device: Virtual Reality

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07366515

0414

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of an expanded virtual reality (VR) intervention designed to help prepare patients for cancer surgery. This study will: (1) assess the investigator's ability to recruit, retain, and engage participants, (2) evaluate how acceptable participants find the intervention through their feedback on its individual components. The investigators will also explore whether baseline anxiety levels or psychiatric history predict responses to the intervention, as well as look for any changes in perioperative anxiety and monitoring for any adverse effects associated with the intervention. This study will also investigate engagement of providing participants with a first-person VR session recordings to determine utility and whether post-session access is perceived as beneficial. Finally, preliminary pilot outcomes will examine whether increased engagement in the VR results in reductions in anxiety on the day of surgery.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Patients will be deemed eligible for inclusion if they: (a) are 18 years of age or older; (b) are able to speak and read English; (c) have received a cancer diagnosis; and (d) are scheduled, or in the process of being scheduled to undergo oncological surgery under general anesthesia at the Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg. Patients will be deemed ineligible if they are unable to provide informed consent (e.g., due to cognitive impairment) or if they have any visual, auditory and/or motor impairments that would preclude effective participation in the Virtual Reality intervention.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Device Feasibility

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups

Daily Viewing Group

Other group

Description:

Participants assigned to this group will be instructed to review the standardized VR intervention recording daily, following their in-person session and continuing up to their scheduled surgery date.

Treatment:

Device: Virtual Reality

Self-directed group

Other group

Description:

Participants assigned to this group will be instructed to review the standardized VR intervention recording as little or as much as they would like, following their in-person session and continuing up to their scheduled surgery date.

Treatment:

Device: Virtual Reality