Virtual Reality on Anxiety, Stress, Pain and Patient's Satisfaction Among Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy (VR/RCT)

Cairo University (CU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Patient Satisfaction; Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy; Anxiety; Pain; Stress

Treatments: Device: Meta Quest 2 VR headset

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07145203

IRB R-2024/A/129/N

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effect of Virtual Reality (VR) on anxiety, stress, pain, and patient satisfaction among Palestinian patients undergoing colonoscopy. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of VR as a non-pharmacological intervention to improve the patient experience during the procedure.

The main research hypotheses are:

H01: There will be no significant difference in anxiety levels between patients who receive immersive VR during colonoscopy and those who receive standard care.

H02: There will be no significant difference in perceived stress levels between patients who receive immersive VR during colonoscopy and those who receive standard care.

H03: There will be no significant difference in pain levels between patients who receive immersive VR during colonoscopy and those who receive standard care.

H04: There will be no significant difference in satisfaction levels between patients who receive immersive VR during colonoscopy and those who receive standard care.

Participants will:

Receive either a VR intervention or standard care during their colonoscopy. Wear a VR headset for 15-30 minutes, immersing themselves in a natural environment with relaxing music and nature sounds.

Complete assessments of anxiety, stress, pain, and satisfaction before and after the procedure using validated questionnaires.

Full description

Title: Effect of Virtual Reality on Anxiety, Stress, Pain, and Patient Satisfaction among Palestinian Patients Undergoing Colonoscopy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Colonoscopy is a common diagnostic and therapeutic procedure for gastrointestinal disorders but often causes anxiety, stress, and pain, which can complicate the procedure and increase sedative use. Virtual reality (VR) technology offers immersive, multi-sensory environments that may reduce these negative psychological and physical responses. This study aims to evaluate the effect of VR on anxiety, stress, pain, and patient satisfaction among Palestinian patients undergoing colonoscopy.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial will be conducted at the Endoscopy Unit of Rafidia Surgical Hospital in Nablus, Palestine. A total of 150 patients scheduled for colonoscopy will be randomly assigned to either the VR group (n=75) or the control group (n=75). The VR group will wear head-mounted VR devices for 15 to 30 minutes during the procedure, choosing from natural environments such as tropical beaches, forests, or snowy landscapes accompanied by relaxing music and nature sounds. Data on anxiety, stress, pain, and satisfaction will be collected through questionnaires administered by the researcher. The study duration is three months.

Enrollment: 150 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients scheduled for elective colonoscopy
• Patients older than 18 years
• Patients with no history of previous colonoscopy procedures
• Patients experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and stress

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who have a history of psychiatric disorders, epilepsy, hypertension, or chronic pain.
• Patients who are mute and could not read, or write, patients with visual, hearing, or cognitive impairment.
• Patients who implanted hearing aids or cardiac pacemakers.
• Patients who were given any anxiolytic, sedative, or hypnotic drugs before or during procedure.
• Patients who were exposed to complications during the operation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

150 participants in 2 patient groups

VR group

Experimental group

Description:

The VR intervention utilized a head-mounted VR headset with built-in headphones. Patients selected VR environments from a predefined list of natural scenes, including tropical beach, diving, forest, and snowy landscape, each accompanied by relaxing music and nature sounds. The Guided Meditation VR application from Cubicle Ninjas (https://guidedmeditationvr.com/) provided 360-degree immersive nature environments with standardized calming background audio. VR was applied during the colonoscopy procedure, with sessions lasting 15 to 30 minutes and discontinued if the patient experienced nausea, dizziness, or requested removal.

Treatment:

Device: Meta Quest 2 VR headset

control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the control group received only standard care according to the hospital's protocol during the colonoscopy procedure.