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The Effect of an Augmented Reality Game on Pain and Fear Levels and Care Satisfaction During Allergy Testing in
Enes Şimşek1, Remziye Semerci Şahin2, Gizem Kuruoğlu3
1Graduate School of Health Sciences, Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Purpose:
To evaluate the effects of an augmented reality game on children's recalled pain and fear, as well as care satisfaction, immediately after an allergy skin prick test, comparing outcomes between an augmented reality intervention group and a control group.
Design:
This is a parallel-group randomized controlled study with a post-test-only assessment approach.
Methods:
This study was conducted in a pediatric outpatient clinic in Türkiye with a total of 66 children aged 4-12 years between August 2023 and May 2025. Children undergoing allergy skin testing were randomly assigned to augmented reality intervention or the control group. Fear, pain, and care satisfaction were assessed via child self-report immediately after the skin prick test, capturing the child's recall of the procedural experience. A baseline imbalance in prior allergy testing experience between groups was observed and addressed in adjusted analyses.
Results:
Children in the augmented reality group exhibited significantly lower recalled fear levels compared to the control group (p = .009 and Cohen's d = 0.73). Additionally, care satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the intervention group (p < .001 and Cohen's d = 1.15). No statistically significant difference was observed in recalled pain scores between the groups (p = .165 and Cohen's d = 0.38).
Conclusions:
Augmented reality emerged as an effective intervention for reducing fear and enhancing care satisfaction among children undergoing allergy skin testing.
Clinical Implications:
Pediatric nurses are uniquely positioned to lead the integration of augmented reality into routine care as a child-centered, experiential approach. Incorporating augmented reality into invasive procedures can enhance the healthcare experience and reduce the procedural distress of pediatric patients.
