Abstract
Purpose High levels of preoperative anxiety amongst pediatric patients can lead to postoperative complications and increased healthcare costs, necessitating effective non-pharmacological interventions. This study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of “Surgery Prep,” a gamified virtual reality (VR) app that features a perioperative walkthrough designed to help pediatric patients psychologically prepare for surgery. Method The VR application was implemented by a Child Life Specialist (CLS) at a hospital using Meta Quest VR hardware to 15 eligible patients ages 5 to 14 years scheduled for a surgical procedure requiring anesthesia. Pediatric patients and their parents were surveyed to assess the application’s feasibility and acceptability and effectiveness into psychologically preparation and reducing pre-operative anxiety in pediatric patients before surgery. Result The results of this study demonstrated the feasibility of a VR perioperative walkthrough by the CLS team who recruited 15 pediatric patients with 3 refusals to participate. All patients completed the study. Acceptability was highlighted by patients and parents reporting the VR experience to be fun, interactive, engaging, and a tool for distraction and psychological surgery preparation. This matched a reasonably high average System Usability score of 72.2 (95% CI = 64.0 to 80.3). The most common complaint from parents and patients was that the headset was heavy. Conclusion This study found that a VR app designed to reduce preoperative anxiety was feasible for deployment by CLS in a hospital and acceptable by pediatric patients and their parents. The VR experience introduced a means to psychologically prepare patients for surgery and distract them while they await surgery in a hospital.
Published Version (
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