Virtual Reality Offers Promising Pain Relief for Hospitalized Cancer Patients

A study published via Wiley Online in the peer-reviewed journal CANCER has shown that virtual reality (VR) can greatly reduce the pain of hospitalized cancer patients in a short ten-minute session. 

The study by Georgetown University School of Medicine and MedStar Health randomized over one hundred patients into control and precipitant groups. The former used 2D-based imagery on an iPad for ten minutes, while the latter had a ten-minute virtual reality experience.

From this test, researchers found that VR reduced the amount of pain in participants to a greater extent than those viewing the 2D imagery, with improved pain reduction in the following hours. 

The results showcase the tangible benefits virtual reality may have on hospitalized patients with cancer, offering a bright and substantial future for virtual reality in its use in treating cancer and for patients with the disease, shedding light on the profound impact of VR pain therapies:

” While this study was conducted among hospitalized patients, future studies should also evaluate VR pain therapies in outpatient settings and explore the impact of different VR content to improve different types of cancer-related pain in different patient populations. Perhaps one day, patients living with cancer pain will be prescribed a VR therapy to use at home to improve their pain experience, in addition to usual cancer pain management strategies like pain medications.” said Dr. Groninger of Georgetown University School of Medicine

This study is yet another example of how immersive technologies can be used for good in hospital settings, away from the classic gamified use cases. For more information on virtual reality’s impact on healthcare, check out our intelligence platform for up-to-date use cases.

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