Virtual Reality as a Form of Interactive Distraction for Pediatric Patients Receiving Immediate Hypersensitivity Skin Tests: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Children receiving Immediate Hypersensitivity Skin Tests (IHST) often experience intense itchiness at the test site prior to completion of the procedure, which can lead to incompliance and increased stress. This study assessed low-cost virtual reality (VR) with the standard of care (e.g., Look and Find or I Spy books) as forms of interactive distraction on pediatric patient’s cooperation and perception of negative procedural outcomes (i.e., itchiness and distress) for patients receiving IHST. Two hundred and twenty patients five to 12 years of age who received an IHST were randomized to either the VR (experimental) or standard of care (control) group. Compliance, coping, and perceived itch outcomes were compared between groups in addition to being compared by age category and sex. None of the primary outcomes differed significantly for patients in the control versus experimental group, although patients in the experimental group were significantly more likely to fail to complete the assessment (p = 0.034). Despite VR being a novel technology, the results showed that the VR group had similar outcomes compared to the standard of care group regarding patients’ compliance, coping, and perceived itch.