Virtual Reality Experiences for Anxiety and Pain Control

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Cell Neoplasm; Malignant Solid Neoplasm

Treatments: Procedure: Virtual Reality Meditation; Other: Survey Administration; Procedure: Virtual Reality Game

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04759183

STUDY00022194 (Other Identifier)

NCI-2021-00794 (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This trial studies the impact of virtual reality experiences on anxiety before surgery and pain after surgery. The goal of this study is to examine how different virtual reality experiences may help reduce anxiety and improve pain control, which may help reduce the need for medications such as opioids.

Full description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To measure the impact of a gaming virtual reality (VR) experience compared to a mindfulness VR experience on preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain.

OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

ARM I: Patients participate in a VR intervention (Angry Birds) over 15 minutes before standard of care surgery and then participate in a VR intervention (TRIPP) over 15 minutes after surgery.

ARM II: Patients participate in a VR intervention (TRIPP) over 15 minutes before standard of care surgery and then participate in a VR intervention (Angry Birds) over 15 minutes after surgery.

Enrollment: 32 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 89 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adults (18 years or older and younger than 89)
• Able to consent
• English-speaking

Exclusion criteria

• Non-English speaking patients because the VR content is only available in English
• Have symptoms concerning for an active respiratory infection or are on contact or isolation precautions
• Any active eye discharge
• A history of seizure, epilepsy, or hypersensitivity to flashing light
• Have a history of motion sickness or vertigo
• Have active nausea or vomiting
• Psychiatric conditions that may interfere with the ability to successfully participate in the study
• Have cardiac pacemakers
• Require hearing aids at all times that cannot be removed
• Have defibrillators
• Have wound dressings on the head or neck that prevent comfortable use of the VR headset

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

32 participants in 2 patient groups

Arm I (Angry Birds, TRIPP)

Experimental group

Description:

Patients participate in a VR intervention (Angry Birds) over 15 minutes before standard of care surgery and then participate in a VR intervention (TRIPP) over 15 minutes after surgery.

Treatment:

Procedure: Virtual Reality Game

Other: Survey Administration

Procedure: Virtual Reality Meditation

Arm II (TRIPP, Angry Birds)

Experimental group

Description:

Patients participate in a VR intervention (TRIPP) over 15 minutes before standard of care surgery and then participate in a VR intervention (Angry Birds) over 15 minutes after surgery.

Treatment:

Procedure: Virtual Reality Game

Other: Survey Administration

Procedure: Virtual Reality Meditation