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Economic Evaluation Comparing Virtual Reality with Child Life Programming for Non-sedated Pediatric Medical Imaging:
John Jacob1,2,3, Chelsea Stunden4,5, Dhayanand Deenadayalan5,6
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2D19-4480, Oak Street, Vancouver, BC, V6H 3V4, Canada. john.jacob@ubc.ca.
Pharmacoeconomics - Open
|April 11, 2023
Summary
Virtual reality (VR) preparation for pediatric MRI is as effective as certified Child Life Programs (CLP) in managing anxiety and improving patient experience. VR-MRI can significantly reduce overall costs for patients and hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare economics
- Medical imaging preparation
- Virtual reality applications in medicine
Background:
- Effective preparation is crucial for pediatric patients undergoing hospital procedures like non-sedated medical imaging.
- Assessing the costs and consequences of different preparation methods is clinically important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the costs and consequences of virtual reality magnetic resonance imaging (VR-MRI) preparation versus a certified Child Life Program (CLP) for pediatric patients.
- To evaluate health-related and non-health-related outcomes of both preparation methods.
Main Methods:
- A cost-consequence analysis (CCA) from a societal perspective in Canada was conducted.
- Data from a prior randomized clinical trial comparing VR and CLP in a simulated setting was utilized.
- The evaluation included health effects (anxiety, safety) and non-health effects (preparation time, user experience, costs).
Main Results:
- VR-MRI and CLP demonstrated similar benefits in managing anxiety, safety, and enabling non-sedated imaging.
- CLP was favored for preparation time and patient adaptation, while VR-MRI excelled in reducing displaced time and administrative burden.
- Total costs per patient for CLP ranged from CAN$315.16 to CAN$3843.41, whereas VR-MRI ranged from CAN$178.30 to CAN$283.85, with potential savings of CAN$119.01 to CAN$3364.62 per patient when VR-MRI replaced travel for CLP.
Conclusions:
- VR-MRI can increase access to quality preparation for children unable to attend onsite CLP.
- Utilizing VR-MRI where clinically appropriate can decrease overall costs for patients, hospitals, and society.
- The CCA provides decision-makers with a cost-benefit analysis to inform the integration of VR and CLP programs for pediatric MRI patients.
