Virtual reality (VR) technology has proven to be an effective tool in alleviating the anxiety of parents whose child is undergoing surgery. The study was presented annually meeting American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).
“When a child undergoes a medical procedure, it is often emotionally distressing not only for the patient but for the entire family. Our results showed a significant reduction in anxiety when using virtual reality compared to our standard of care,” said Professor Thomas Caruso, senior author of the study.
Caregivers of 26 children who underwent noninvasive or surgical procedures were included in the study. During the experiment, they had to wear VR headsets where they were shown images of natural landscapes and given auditory cues.
Before immersion in virtual reality, participants’ average anxiety level was 56.5 on a scale of 0 to 100. VR use helped reduce anxiety to 33.1, while anxiety in the control group remained almost unchanged.
Previous scientists learned It detects ADHD in children using VR with 84% accuracy.