Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 17, 2025
Mobile Game-based Virtual Reality Program for Upper Extremity Stroke Rehabilitation
Published on: March 8, 2018
Smartphone virtual reality for pain management during pediatric burn care transition: study protocol for a randomized
Megan Armstrong1,2, Amber Price3, Rebecca Coffey4
1Center for Pediatric Trauma Research, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA.
Insights
Virtual reality pain alleviation therapeutic (VR-PAT) shows promise in reducing pain and anxiety for pediatric burn patients during at-home wound care. This study evaluated VR-PAT
Area of Science:
- Pediatric burn care
- Digital therapeutics
- Pain management
Background:
- Burn injuries requiring emergency department visits represent a significant health burden for US children.
- At-home burn dressing changes are frequently associated with substantial pain and anxiety for pediatric patients.
- Transitioning burn care from medical facilities to home environments can exacerbate distress for both children and parents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of a virtual reality therapeutic intervention for alleviating pain and anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing repeated at-home burn dressing changes.
- To assess the impact of the Virtual Reality Pain Alleviation Therapeutic (VR-PAT) on patient-reported outcomes during home-based wound care.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, controlled clinical trial involving 200 pediatric patients with burn injuries from two US burn centers.
- Participants were allocated 1:1 to either the intervention group using VR-PAT during dressing changes or a control group receiving standard care.
- Data collected included self-reported pain, anxiety levels, pain medication usage, and simulator sickness symptoms.
Main Results:
- The primary outcome measured was the difference in self-reported pain and anxiety between the VR-PAT intervention group and the control group over one week of dressing changes.
- Analysis focused on comparing patient experiences between those using VR-PAT and those undergoing standard at-home burn care procedures.
Conclusions:
- Virtual reality presents a promising digital technology for enhancing wound care and improving patient outcomes in pediatric burn management.
- Findings from this trial will provide crucial data on the effectiveness of VR-PAT in mitigating pain and anxiety during home dressing changes.
- The study results are intended to support evidence for the large-scale implementation of VR-PAT in pediatric burn care settings.
Background:
Burn injuries severe enough to result in emergency department visits are a large burden for US children. Treatment for these injuries often involves daily dressing changes at home, which can be very painful and anxiety-inducing. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of a virtual reality therapeutic for pain and anxiety alleviation during repeated at-home burn dressing changes among pediatric patients.
Methods:
Two hundred children with burn injuries requiring daily dressing changes will be recruited from two American Burn Association-verified burn centers in the USA for this randomized, controlled, two-arm clinical trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. During each dressing change at home, the intervention group will play the Virtual Reality Pain Alleviation Therapeutic (VR-PAT) game and answer questions about their pain, anxiety state, pain medication usage, simulator sickness symptoms, and experience playing the game. The control group will perform their dressing as usual without the VR-PAT and answer questions about their pain, anxiety state, and pain medication usage. The primary outcome is the difference in self-reported pain and anxiety between the two groups over their week of dressing changes.
Discussion:
The transition of burn injury treatment from the medical center to the home can increase anxiety for children and their parents. Virtual reality is a promising digital technology that can improve wound care for these children. Findings from this trial will provide data on the efficacy of the VR-PAT for reducing self-reported pain and anxiety during daily home dressing changes for pediatric burn care. The results from this trial will serve as evidence for a large-scale implementation study.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05673551. Registered on December 21, 2022.
