Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 14, 2025
The use of Biofeedback in Clinical Virtual Reality: The INTREPID Project
Published on: November 12, 2009
Distraction in the Emergency department using Virtual reality for INtravenous procedures in Children to Improve
Esli Osmanlliu1, Evelyne D Trottier2, Benoit Bailey2
1Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, CHU Sainte-Justine, 3175, Ch. de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada. esli.osmanlliu@mcgill.ca.
Insights
Virtual reality distraction is a feasible and acceptable method for managing pain and distress during pediatric intravenous procedures. While procedural pain was similar, VR reduced distress and long-term pain memory in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Pain Management
- Virtual Reality Applications
Background:
- Intravenous (IV) procedures in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) are associated with significant pain and distress.
- Effective non-pharmacological methods are needed to improve patient comfort during these procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of virtual reality (VR) as a distraction technique for pediatric patients undergoing IV procedures.
- To assess the impact of VR on procedural pain, distress, and memory of pain.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial comparing standard care with standard care plus VR distraction.
- Feasibility and acceptability were primary outcomes, with pain, distress, and pain memory as secondary outcomes.
- Data collected included recruitment rates, game completion, patient/parent/provider satisfaction, and validated pain/distress scales.
Main Results:
- High recruitment (78.8%) and game completion (90.3%) rates demonstrated feasibility.
- Patients, parents, and healthcare providers reported high satisfaction with VR.
- While self-reported procedural pain was similar between groups, VR intervention showed trends towards reduced distress and significantly lower memory of pain at 24 hours.
Conclusions:
- Virtual reality is a feasible and acceptable adjunct to standard care for managing pain and distress during pediatric IV procedures.
- VR was associated with mild, transient side effects in a small percentage of patients.
- VR shows promise in reducing distress and improving long-term pain recall, warranting further investigation.
Objectives:
Intravenous (IV) procedures cause pain and distress in the pediatric emergency department (ED). We studied the feasibility and acceptability of virtual reality distraction for patient comfort during intravenous procedures.
Methods:
Children were randomized to a control (standard care) or intervention group (standard care + virtual reality). Thresholds for feasibility and acceptability (primary outcomes) were determined through a priori established criteria. The level of procedural pain (principal clinical outcome) and distress, as well as memory of pain at 24 h were collected and reported as medians (Q1, Q3) for each group.
Results:
63 patients were enrolled, with a high rate of recruitment (78.8%) and game completion (90.3%). Patients, parents and, healthcare providers reported high satisfaction levels. There were no serious adverse events. Five of the 30 patients (16.7%) exposed to virtual reality reported mild side effects. Self-reported procedural pain (verbal numerical rating scale: 3 (1, 6)/10 vs 3 (1, 5.5)/10, p = 0.75) was similar between groups. Further exploratory clinical measures were reported for the intervention and control groups, respectively: self-rated distress during the procedure (Child Fear Scale: 1 (0, 2)/4 vs 2 (0, 3)/4); distress evaluated by proxy during the procedure (Procedure Behavior Check List: 8 (8, 9)/40 vs 10 (8, 15)/40); memory of pain at 24 h (VNRS: 2 (1, 3)/10 vs 4 (2, 6.5)/10).
Conclusion:
The addition of virtual reality to standard care is feasible and acceptable for pain and distress management during IV procedures in the pediatric ED. Occasional mild, self-resolving side effects were observed in the intervention group. Self-reported pain during the procedure was similar between groups. CLINICALTRIALS.
Gov Identifier:
NCT03750578.
