IT HELPS DETACH THEIR ANXIETIES FROM WHAT THEY ’ RE FEELING AND EXPERIENCING IN THE REAL WORLD .
INDUSTRY WATCH
IT HELPS DETACH THEIR ANXIETIES FROM WHAT THEY ’ RE FEELING AND EXPERIENCING IN THE REAL WORLD .
Children ’ s Hospital Los Angeles ’ Interventional Radiology team – one of the most universally visited specialties at the hospital – is working to minimize negative medical experiences using virtual reality ( VR ) technology .
In August , they hired Phoenix Hunt , CHLA ’ s first embedded hospital VR technologist , to guide and support patients through their procedures using specially designed , procedure-specific VR games .
“ In most health care contexts , VR has been used to support patients as a relaxation tool ,” said Joseph Miller , MD , MS , Director of Interventional Radiology .
“ That ’ s a lot logistically for the patient – and for their family and care team – for what is ultimately a fiveminute procedure – our goal is to reduce that footprint for everybody ,” he said .
VR as a therapeutic tool
“ When you put a headset on somebody in a health care setting , it can transform their mind and immerse them in a completely different environment ,” said Hunt .
“ It helps detach their anxieties from what they ’ re feeling and experiencing in the real world .”
“ We ’ re applying these same types of technologies to pediatrics in a novel way to minimize anxiety , pain , and discomfort and even reduce anesthesia use .”
Interventional radiology : An ideal VR use case
Interventional radiology provides minimally invasive care in a variety of ways . The specialty uses medical imaging such as X-rays , CT scans , ultrasounds , and MRIs to insert small devices – like catheters , IVs or wires – into the body , or to perform biopsies .
This phenomenon has been studied extensively by CHLA ’ s Biobehavioral Pain Lab , led by Jeffrey Gold , PhD , whose research seeks to enhance the standard of care for anxious patients beyond administering medication to ease fear .
“ VR can help dampen the brain ’ s pain receptors ,” Hunt said . “ Your body is so distracted with other stimuli that it kind of forgets to feel that anxiety or pain that you ’ d be noticing previously .”
A nationwide search
Most interventional radiology procedures only take a few minutes , but the prep time and setup are much more complex .
“ A patient who just needs something to ease the anxiety and discomfort of the procedure ends up having to go without eating all night so we can administer anesthesia in the morning ,” said Dr . Miller .
As the medications leave the patient ’ s system , it can take several hours to fully recover .
“ What we were missing was not so much the technology itself ,” says Dr . Miller , reflecting on the early days of conceiving the program . “ It was the person to help apply the technology in an individualized fashion .”
That ’ s where Hunt came in .
Hunt studied virtual-reality game design at Savannah College of Art and Design and was drawn to VR applications in health care .
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