Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: Virtual reality (VR) coping has recently flourished into a popular distractor in pediatric medical environments. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of VR versus standard care for reducing anxiety during routine outpatient ECGs. A secondary objective was to examine if the use of VR results in higher patient, parent, and ECG technician satisfaction when undergoing these procedures.
Methods: Patients being clinically evaluated in a pediatric cardiology clinic with an ECG were prospectively enrolled after informed consent and randomized to VR and non-VR (standard care) groups. Patients completed pre- and post-ECG surveys using the validated Children’s Anxiety Meter-State (CAM-S) and the Children’s Fear Scale (CFS). In addition, patient, parent, and technician satisfaction were evaluated via post-procedure experience surveys. ECGs were reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist for presence of motion artifact and compared with electronic medical records for diagnostic accuracy. Differences between groups (VR vs non-VR) were measured using Student t-tests, while within group (pre vs post) differences were measured using repeated measures (Proc Mixed). The study was reviewed and approved by Stanford University IRB (#74232). All analyses were conducted using SAS OnDemand for Academics (Cary, NC).
Results: Among 70 randomized patients, 1 was unable to finish the procedure, leaving 35 in the VR group and 34 in the non-VR group. No difference in technician time was observed between the groups (p = 0.32). Both groups showed significant reductions in post-ECG anxiety and fear scores (p < 0.01 for both). However, no significant difference was seen between the VR and Non-VR groups for the decrease in anxiety (p=0.94) or fear (p=0.33). The majority of patients, parents, and technicians reported VR as a helpful distraction tool, with 91-95% of patients and parents feeling more relaxed and 79% of technicians finding VR improved efficiency. Additionally, 87-100% of respondents felt VR technology was engaging for the child and useful for other patients.
Conclusion: While VR and Non-VR decrease anxiety and fear at similar rates, surveys indicate that children find VR to be a beneficial tool and the technology eases parents’ fears when watching their child undergo a new procedure. The use of VR also appears to aid in technician efficiency, suggesting the addition of this distractor has merit as a valuable tool in additional outpatient settings and patient groups.