PhlebotomyNCT04268901
VR to Reduce Pain/Anxiety During Painful Procedures
A study testing Samsung Gear VR, Merge VR and Oculus Go in people with Phlebotomy and Orthopedics, run by Children's Hospital Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study aims to test the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a non-pharmaceutical intervention to reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing painful procedures in Phlebotomy, Radiology, Infusion, Orthopedics, Gastroenterology, and Immunology, amongst others, at CHLA, as measured by self- and proxy-report. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 7 to 21 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Phlebotomy, Orthopedics, Radiology
- What is being tested?
- Samsung Gear VR, Merge VR and Oculus Go
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 700 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 19 Feb 2016to 6 Dec 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 7 to 21 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Children who are 7-21 years old
- Children who are English speaking (caregivers may be Spanish English speaking or Spanish speaking)
- Children who are undergoing a painful medical procedure (e.g., venipuncture, IV placement, PICC lines, wound care, cast removal, botox injections) are eligible to participate in this project.
- Only children who are in the normal range of development will be recruited for this study. This will be assessed by report from the parents. The rationale for excluding patients with developmental delay is that due to their cognitive impairments, such children react to the stressors of surgery differently than do children without such developmental delay. It is unclear how such children would use the interventions included in this study, and it is likely that their responses on baseline and outcome measures will differ from children of normal developmental parameters.
- Healthcare providers must be 18 years old or older
- Healthcare providers must be Children's Hospital Los Angeles staff
- Healthcare providers may participate if they have witnessed and/or administered the medical procedure
Who cannot join
- Children who are currently taking pain medication or anxiolytic medication will be excluded from this study.
- Children with a psychiatric disorder, organic brain syndrome, mental retardation, or other known cognitive/neurological disorders
- Children with visual, auditory, or tactile deficits that would interfere with the ability to complete the experimental tasks
- Children with a history of seizure disorder.
- Children currently sick with flu-like symptoms or experiencing a headache or earache.
- Children with known or suspected motion sickness
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90027
Jeffrey I Gold, PhD, 323-361-6341, jgold@chla.usc.edu
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Virtual Reality to Reduce Pain/Anxiety During Routine Painful Procedures
This study aims to test the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a non-pharmaceutical intervention to reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing painful procedures in Phlebotomy, Radiology, Infusion, Orthopedics, Gastroenterology, and Immunology, amongst others, at CHLA, as measured by self- and proxy-report. Examples of the painful procedures include IV sticks, cast removals, allergy testing, and anorectal manometries.
Read the detailed description
Distraction is a form of non pharmacological intervention for reducing pain and anxiety in children during painful medical procedures (e.g., venipuncture, IV placement). Recent technological developments in the area of virtual reality (VR) provide new and potentially more effective ways of distracting children from the pain and anxiety associated with medical procedures. While initial studies of VR pain distraction are promising, few have studied the effectiveness of the technology in children, using a multi-method approach. The current study aims to recruit 240 children ages 7-21 and their caregivers who arrive at the hospital for an outpatient painful medical procedure. Children and their parents will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: 1) existing hospital standard of care or 2) standard of care plus distraction via VR. Children and caregivers will be asked to complete measures assessing pain and anxiety both before and after the procedure. In addition, objective measures of child pain and distress during the medical procedure will be taken using coding of behavioral/verbal expressions. Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used to compare differences in primary and secondary outcome variables in VR + standard of care to standard of care only conditions when pre and post-operative measures are available. Univariate ANOVA will be used to compare conditions on post-operative variables.
- Conditions
- Phlebotomy, Orthopedics, Radiology, Pain, Anxiety, Virtual Reality
- Being tested
- Samsung Gear VR, Merge VR, Oculus Go
- Keywords
- phlebotomy, radiology, orthopedics, infusion, IV stick, cast removal, pain, anxiety, virtual reality, allergy, gastroenterology, anorectal manometry
- Medical subject headings
- Pain, Anxiety Disorders, Hypersensitivity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Samsung Gear VRDevice
Participants 13 -21 years old can use the Samsung Gear VR. The VE to be used in this study is mobile based (Samsung with the Gear VR) and has active matrix LCDs with high pixel resolution, creating a bright, vibrant color and a quality image. The VR game is equipped with a head-tracking system, enabling the player to look around the virtual environment. In addition, there is the option to interact with the VR environment using a tap pad located on the side of the helmet. Therefore, the child will be receiving distraction via 3-D visual and auditory sensory, and tactile feedback, thus supplying a multi-sensory immersive experience. While wearing these glasses, the children only can see the HMD screen so that the immersion and presence will be increased. The VR glasses will be sanitized before every use so that the chance of infection will be minimized.
Merge VRDevice
Participants 10-21 years can use the Merge. The VE to be used in this study is mobile based (Pixel with the Merge) and has active matrix LCDs with high pixel resolution, creating a bright, vibrant color and a quality image. The VR game is equipped with a head-tracking system, enabling the player to look around the virtual environment. In addition, there is the option to interact with the VR environment using a tap pad located on the side of the helmet. Therefore, the child will be receiving distraction via 3-D visual and auditory sensory, and tactile feedback, thus supplying a multi-sensory immersive experience. While wearing these glasses, the children only can see the HMD screen so that the immersion and presence will be increased. The VR glasses will be sanitized before every use so that the chance of infection will be minimized.
Oculus GoDevice
Participants 7-21 years can use the Oculus Go. The visual a bright, vibrant color and a quality image. The VR game is equipped with a head-tracking system, enabling the player to look around the virtual environment. In addition, there is the option to interact with the VR environment using a handheld remote. Therefore, the child will be receiving distraction via 3-D visual and auditory sensory, and tactile feedback, thus supplying a multi-sensory immersive experience. While wearing these glasses, the children only can see the HMD screen so that the immersion and presence will be increased. The VR glasses will be sanitized before every use so that the chance of infection will be minimized.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Standard of Care (No VR) Randomization | No intervention | In the standard of care treatment condition, participants will receive the standard CHLA treatment protocol for the medical procedure. |
| VR Randomization | Experimental | Children in the VR condition will undergo the invasive procedure while distracted by interaction with an immersive virtual environment (VE) presented via a head mounted display (HMD). The intervention group will receive standard CHLA treatment with VR distraction. Receives: Device: Samsung Gear VR; Device: Merge VR; Device: Oculus Go |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
VAS
VAS anticipatory anxiety measure: The VAS anticipatory anxiety measure is a vertical VAS, anchored with 0 at the bottom indicating the least amount and 10 at the top indicating the greatest amount, in response to the instruction to rate "how nervous, afraid, or worried" they were about the upcoming task. The scale also has color cues, graded from yellow at the bottom to dark red at the top, as well as a neutral face at the bottom and a face showing a negative expression at the top. Prior research used the VAS to rate anticipatory anxiety and pain in children.
Measured: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
Faces Pain Scale (FPS-R)
Revised is an updated version of the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale depicting no pain as a neutral expression as compared with the smiling face of the original measure. The child is asked to point to the face cartoon that depicts how they are currently feeling because of their pain. Face measures are thought to measure pain intensity, and the Wong-Baker Faces measure has demonstrated good reliability and validity.
Measured: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
Facial Affective Scale
A faces scale to predict pediatric pain unpleasantness.
Measured: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
Child State Anxiety Index (CASI) or Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) if 18 and older
CASI is an 18-item scale that measures the tendency to view anxiety-related bodily sensations as dangerous (e.g., ''It scares me when my heart beats fast''). Items are scored on a 3-point scale (none, some, a lot), and total scores are calculated by summing all items. The CASI has demonstrated high internal consistency and adequate test-retest reliability. The CASI correlates well with measures of trait anxiety but also accounts for variance in fear not attributable to trait anxiety measures
Measured: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
Malaise Scale
The MS is a six-point scale indicating level of nausea from (1) no symptoms to (6) being sick The MS is completed before and after administration of the VR game to monitor for any signs of nausea. Instructions to the child are as follows: "This is a scale from one to six. One means that you feel fine and no different to how you normally feel. Two means that you feel a little bit different or funny but not sick in the tummy. Three means that you feel a little bit sick and four means that you feel more than a little bit sick but not really sick. Five means that you feel really sick, like you are going to throw up or vomit and six means that you are being sick or vomiting. I'm going to ask you every few minutes how you feel. I want you to tell me which number from one to six best describes how you feel at that time."
Measured: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
Child Presence Questionnaire
The Child Presence Questionnaire was developed out of a content analysis of the entire domain of adult presence items and selection and adaptation of appropriate items for assessing the child's sense of believability of their experience. This 16-item measure is verbally administered to children and asks them to respond according to a 3-point Likert-like format. Items assess the child's sense of involvement, realism, and transportation into the experience. Patients in the VR condition will complete the Child Presence Questionnaire post-procedure to assess level of VR immersion.
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Child Satisfaction Survey
The child survey is 13-item, Likert-like survey to assess child estimates of pain reduction, fear reduction, decreased behavioral distress, and overall satisfaction; it mirrors the parent survey. There are two versions, one for each treatment condition. Two versions of the survey exist, to account for condition (VR vs. standard of care).
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Parent Satisfaction Survey
The parent survey is 16-item, Likert-like survey to assess parent estimates of pain reduction, fear reduction, decreased behavioral distress, and overall satisfaction. Two versions of the survey exist, to account for condition (VR vs. standard of care).
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Healthcare Provider Survey
The healthcare provider survey is a 7-item Likert-like investigator-developed survey to assess their estimates of pain and anxiety management, cooperation, and satisfaction with the procedure. Healthcare providers are also invited to write comments about the use of VR (if applicable) during the IV placement procedure.
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
VAS
VAS anticipatory anxiety measure: The VAS anticipatory anxiety measure is a vertical VAS, anchored with 0 at the bottom indicating the least amount and 10 at the top indicating the greatest amount, in response to the instruction to rate "how nervous, afraid, or worried" they were about the upcoming task. The scale also has color cues, graded from yellow at the bottom to dark red at the top, as well as a neutral face at the bottom and a face showing a negative expression at the top. Prior research used the VAS to rate anticipatory anxiety and pain in children.
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Faces Pain Scale (FPS-R)
Revised is an updated version of the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale depicting no pain as a neutral expression as compared with the smiling face of the original measure. The child is asked to point to the face cartoon that depicts how they are currently feeling because of their pain. Face measures are thought to measure pain intensity, and the Wong-Baker Faces measure has demonstrated good reliability and validity.
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Facial Affective Scale
A faces scale to predict pediatric pain unpleasantness.
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Malaise Scale
The MS is a six-point scale indicating level of nausea from (1) no symptoms to (6) being sick The MS is completed before and after administration of the VR game to monitor for any signs of nausea. Instructions to the child are as follows: "This is a scale from one to six. One means that you feel fine and no different to how you normally feel. Two means that you feel a little bit different or funny but not sick in the tummy. Three means that you feel a little bit sick and four means that you feel more than a little bit sick but not really sick. Five means that you feel really sick, like you are going to throw up or vomit and six means that you are being sick or vomiting. I'm going to ask you every few minutes how you feel. I want you to tell me which number from one to six best describes how you feel at that time."
Measured: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Secondary outcomes (1)
CAMPIS-R
The CAMPIS-R is a standardized rating scale that codes videotaped verbal interactions in the pediatric treatment room. The CAMPIS-R codes the subject, speaker, phase of medical procedure, verbal content, affective tone, and to whom vocalizations are directed. Adult vocalizations are coded as coping-promoting (nonprocedural talk or humor directed to the child, commands to engage in coping strategies), distress-promoting (reassuring comments, apologies, giving control to the child, criticism, and empathetic statements), or neutral (humor to adults, nonprocedural talk to adults, child's condition talk, commands for procedural activity, praise, notification of procedure to come, behavioral commands to child, checking child's status). Two independent study team coders will complete the CAMPIS-R while reviewing the videotape from each of the I\&D of abscess procedures.
Measured: Peri-procedure
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Feb 2020
- Study start19 Feb 2016
- Primary completion6 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion6 Dec 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (22)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for PhlebotomyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Children's Hospital Los AngelesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 700 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- AppliedVR Inc.
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jeffrey I Gold, PhD, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
- Investigators
- Jeffrey I Gold, PhD, Principal investigator, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04268901
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CHLA-15-00549
- Status last verified
- Oct 2023
- First submitted
- 10 Feb 2020
- Last updated
- 27 Oct 2023
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Rothbaum BO, Hodges L, Kooper R. Virtual reality exposure therapy. J Psychother Pract Res. 1997 Summer;6(3):219-26.
PubMed 9185067Schneider SM, Workman ML. Effects of virtual reality on symptom distress in children receiving chemotherapy. Cyberpsychol Behav. 1999;2(2):125-34. doi: 10.1089/cpb.1999.2.125.
PubMed 19178248Riva G, Bacchetta M, Baruffi M, Rinaldi S, Molinari E. Experiential cognitive therapy: a VR based approach for the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. Stud Health Technol Inform. 1998;58:120-35.
PubMed 10350912Stanton, D., Foreman, N., Wilson, P., & Duffy, H. (2002). Use of virtual environments to acquire spatial understanding of real world multi-level environments. 13-19. Paper presented at Fourth International Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies (ICDVRAT), Vesprem, Hungary.
Parsons TD, Bowerly T, Buckwalter JG, Rizzo AA. A controlled clinical comparison of attention performance in children with ADHD in a virtual reality classroom compared to standard neuropsychological methods. Child Neuropsychol. 2007 Jul;13(4):363-81. doi: 10.1080/13825580600943473.
PubMed 17564852McComas, J., Pivik, J., & Laflamme, M. (1998). Children's transfer of spatial learning from virtual reality to real environments. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1(2), 121-128. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.121
Pugnetti L, Mendozzi L, Barbieri E, Motta A. VR experience with neurological patients: basic cost/benefit issues. Stud Health Technol Inform. 1998;58:243-8.
PubMed 10350925Hoffman HG, Patterson DR, Carrougher GJ, Sharar SR. Effectiveness of virtual reality-based pain control with multiple treatments. Clin J Pain. 2001 Sep;17(3):229-35. doi: 10.1097/00002508-200109000-00007.
PubMed 11587113Mahrer NE, Gold JI. The use of virtual reality for pain control: a review. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2009 Apr;13(2):100-9. doi: 10.1007/s11916-009-0019-8.
PubMed 19272275Malloy KM, Milling LS. The effectiveness of virtual reality distraction for pain reduction: a systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Dec;30(8):1011-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.07.001. Epub 2010 Jul 13.
PubMed 20691523Birnie KA, Noel M, Parker JA, Chambers CT, Uman LS, Kisely SR, McGrath PJ. Systematic review and meta-analysis of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Psychol. 2014 Sep;39(8):783-808. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu029. Epub 2014 Jun 2.
PubMed 24891439Cohen LL, Rodrigues NP, Lim CS, Bearden DJ, Welkom JS, Joffe NE, McGrath PJ, Cousins LA. Automated parent-training for preschooler immunization pain relief: a randomized controlled trial. J Pediatr Psychol. 2015 Jun;40(5):526-34. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu162. Epub 2015 Jan 30.
PubMed 25638483MacLaren JE, Cohen LL. A comparison of distraction strategies for venipuncture distress in children. J Pediatr Psychol. 2005 Jul-Aug;30(5):387-96. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi062. Epub 2005 Feb 23.
PubMed 15944166Taddio A, Goldbach M, Ipp M, Stevens B, Koren G. Effect of neonatal circumcision on pain responses during vaccination in boys. Lancet. 1995 Feb 4;345(8945):291-2. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(95)90278-3.
PubMed 7837863Fradet C, McGrath PJ, Kay J, Adams S, Luke B. A prospective survey of reactions to blood tests by children and adolescents. Pain. 1990 Jan;40(1):53-60. doi: 10.1016/0304-3959(90)91050-S.
PubMed 2339016
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Oct 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of Virtual Reality to Reduce Pain/Anxiety During Routine Painful Procedures
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04268901
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CHLA-15-00549
- Conditions
- Phlebotomy, Orthopedics, Radiology, Pain, Anxiety, Virtual Reality
- Keywords
- phlebotomy, radiology, orthopedics, infusion, IV stick, cast removal, pain, anxiety
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 700 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Children's Hospital Los AngelesUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- AppliedVR Inc.
- Study start
- 19 Feb 2016 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 6 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 6 Dec 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Feb 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to test the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a non-pharmaceutical intervention to reduce pain and anxiety in children undergoing painful procedures in Phlebotomy, Radiology, Infusion, Orthopedics, Gastroenterology, and Immunology, amongst others, at CHLA, as measured by self- and proxy-report. Examples of the painful procedures include IV sticks, cast removals, allergy testing, and anorectal manometries.
Detailed description
Distraction is a form of non pharmacological intervention for reducing pain and anxiety in children during painful medical procedures (e.g., venipuncture, IV placement). Recent technological developments in the area of virtual reality (VR) provide new and potentially more effective ways of distracting children from the pain and anxiety associated with medical procedures. While initial studies of VR pain distraction are promising, few have studied the effectiveness of the technology in children, using a multi-method approach. The current study aims to recruit 240 children ages 7-21 and their caregivers who arrive at the hospital for an outpatient painful medical procedure. Children and their parents will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment conditions: 1) existing hospital standard of care or 2) standard of care plus distraction via VR. Children and caregivers will be asked to complete measures assessing pain and anxiety both before and after the procedure. In addition, objective measures of child pain and distress during the medical procedure will be taken using coding of behavioral/verbal expressions. Univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used to compare differences in primary and secondary outcome variables in VR + standard of care to standard of care only conditions when pre and post-operative measures are available. Univariate ANOVA will be used to compare conditions on post-operative variables.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Standard of Care (No VR) Randomization | No intervention | –In the standard of care treatment condition, participants will receive the standard CHLA treatment protocol for the medical procedure. |
| VR Randomization | Experimental | Device: Samsung Gear VR, Device: Merge VR, Device: Oculus GoChildren in the VR condition will undergo the invasive procedure while distracted by interaction with an immersive virtual environment (VE) presented via a head mounted display (HMD). The intervention group will receive standard CHLA treatment with VR distraction. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 7 to 21 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Children who are 7-21 years old
- Children who are English speaking (caregivers may be Spanish English speaking or Spanish speaking)
- Children who are undergoing a painful medical procedure (e.g., venipuncture, IV placement, PICC lines, wound care, cast removal, botox injections) are eligible to participate in this project.
- Only children who are in the normal range of development will be recruited for this study. This will be assessed by report from the parents. The rationale for excluding patients with developmental delay is that due to their cognitive impairments, such children react to the stressors of surgery differently than do children without such developmental delay. It is unclear how such children would use the interventions included in this study, and it is likely that their responses on baseline and outcome measures will differ from children of normal developmental parameters.
- Healthcare providers must be 18 years old or older
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Children who are currently taking pain medication or anxiolytic medication will be excluded from this study.
- Children with a psychiatric disorder, organic brain syndrome, mental retardation, or other known cognitive/neurological disorders
- Children with visual, auditory, or tactile deficits that would interfere with the ability to complete the experimental tasks
- Children with a history of seizure disorder.
- Children currently sick with flu-like symptoms or experiencing a headache or earache.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung Gear VRParticipants 13 -21 years old can use the Samsung Gear VR. The VE to be used in this study is mobile based (Samsung with the Gear VR) and has active matrix LCDs with high pixel resolution, creating a bright, vibrant color and a quality image. The VR game is equipped with a head-tracking system, enabling the player to look around the virtual environment. In addition, there is the option to interact with the VR environment using a tap pad located on the side of the helmet. Therefore, the child will be receiving distraction via 3-D visual and auditory sensory, and tactile feedback, thus supplying a multi-sensory immersive experience. While wearing these glasses, the children only can see the HMD screen so that the immersion and presence will be increased. The VR glasses will be sanitized before every use so that the chance of infection will be minimized. | Device | VR Randomization |
| Merge VRParticipants 10-21 years can use the Merge. The VE to be used in this study is mobile based (Pixel with the Merge) and has active matrix LCDs with high pixel resolution, creating a bright, vibrant color and a quality image. The VR game is equipped with a head-tracking system, enabling the player to look around the virtual environment. In addition, there is the option to interact with the VR environment using a tap pad located on the side of the helmet. Therefore, the child will be receiving distraction via 3-D visual and auditory sensory, and tactile feedback, thus supplying a multi-sensory immersive experience. While wearing these glasses, the children only can see the HMD screen so that the immersion and presence will be increased. The VR glasses will be sanitized before every use so that the chance of infection will be minimized. | Device | VR Randomization |
| Oculus GoParticipants 7-21 years can use the Oculus Go. The visual a bright, vibrant color and a quality image. The VR game is equipped with a head-tracking system, enabling the player to look around the virtual environment. In addition, there is the option to interact with the VR environment using a handheld remote. Therefore, the child will be receiving distraction via 3-D visual and auditory sensory, and tactile feedback, thus supplying a multi-sensory immersive experience. While wearing these glasses, the children only can see the HMD screen so that the immersion and presence will be increased. The VR glasses will be sanitized before every use so that the chance of infection will be minimized. | Device | VR Randomization |
Primary outcome
VAS
Time frame: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
VAS anticipatory anxiety measure: The VAS anticipatory anxiety measure is a vertical VAS, anchored with 0 at the bottom indicating the least amount and 10 at the top indicating the greatest amount, in response to the instruction to rate "how nervous, afraid, or worried" they were about the upcoming task. The scale also has color cues, graded from yellow at the bottom to dark red at the top, as well as a neutral face at the bottom and a face showing a negative expression at the top. Prior research used the VAS to rate anticipatory anxiety and pain in children.
Faces Pain Scale (FPS-R)
Time frame: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
Revised is an updated version of the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale depicting no pain as a neutral expression as compared with the smiling face of the original measure. The child is asked to point to the face cartoon that depicts how they are currently feeling because of their pain. Face measures are thought to measure pain intensity, and the Wong-Baker Faces measure has demonstrated good reliability and validity.
Facial Affective Scale
Time frame: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
A faces scale to predict pediatric pain unpleasantness.
Child State Anxiety Index (CASI) or Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) if 18 and older
Time frame: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
CASI is an 18-item scale that measures the tendency to view anxiety-related bodily sensations as dangerous (e.g., ''It scares me when my heart beats fast''). Items are scored on a 3-point scale (none, some, a lot), and total scores are calculated by summing all items. The CASI has demonstrated high internal consistency and adequate test-retest reliability. The CASI correlates well with measures of trait anxiety but also accounts for variance in fear not attributable to trait anxiety measures
Malaise Scale
Time frame: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure
The MS is a six-point scale indicating level of nausea from (1) no symptoms to (6) being sick The MS is completed before and after administration of the VR game to monitor for any signs of nausea. Instructions to the child are as follows: "This is a scale from one to six. One means that you feel fine and no different to how you normally feel. Two means that you feel a little bit different or funny but not sick in the tummy. Three means that you feel a little bit sick and four means that you feel more than a little bit sick but not really sick. Five means that you feel really sick, like you are going to throw up or vomit and six means that you are being sick or vomiting. I'm going to ask you every few minutes how you feel. I want you to tell me which number from one to six best describes how you feel at that time."
Child Presence Questionnaire
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
The Child Presence Questionnaire was developed out of a content analysis of the entire domain of adult presence items and selection and adaptation of appropriate items for assessing the child's sense of believability of their experience. This 16-item measure is verbally administered to children and asks them to respond according to a 3-point Likert-like format. Items assess the child's sense of involvement, realism, and transportation into the experience. Patients in the VR condition will complete the Child Presence Questionnaire post-procedure to assess level of VR immersion.
Child Satisfaction Survey
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
The child survey is 13-item, Likert-like survey to assess child estimates of pain reduction, fear reduction, decreased behavioral distress, and overall satisfaction; it mirrors the parent survey. There are two versions, one for each treatment condition. Two versions of the survey exist, to account for condition (VR vs. standard of care).
Parent Satisfaction Survey
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
The parent survey is 16-item, Likert-like survey to assess parent estimates of pain reduction, fear reduction, decreased behavioral distress, and overall satisfaction. Two versions of the survey exist, to account for condition (VR vs. standard of care).
Healthcare Provider Survey
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
The healthcare provider survey is a 7-item Likert-like investigator-developed survey to assess their estimates of pain and anxiety management, cooperation, and satisfaction with the procedure. Healthcare providers are also invited to write comments about the use of VR (if applicable) during the IV placement procedure.
VAS
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
VAS anticipatory anxiety measure: The VAS anticipatory anxiety measure is a vertical VAS, anchored with 0 at the bottom indicating the least amount and 10 at the top indicating the greatest amount, in response to the instruction to rate "how nervous, afraid, or worried" they were about the upcoming task. The scale also has color cues, graded from yellow at the bottom to dark red at the top, as well as a neutral face at the bottom and a face showing a negative expression at the top. Prior research used the VAS to rate anticipatory anxiety and pain in children.
Faces Pain Scale (FPS-R)
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
Revised is an updated version of the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale depicting no pain as a neutral expression as compared with the smiling face of the original measure. The child is asked to point to the face cartoon that depicts how they are currently feeling because of their pain. Face measures are thought to measure pain intensity, and the Wong-Baker Faces measure has demonstrated good reliability and validity.
Facial Affective Scale
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
A faces scale to predict pediatric pain unpleasantness.
Malaise Scale
Time frame: Approximately 5-15 minutes after procedure
The MS is a six-point scale indicating level of nausea from (1) no symptoms to (6) being sick The MS is completed before and after administration of the VR game to monitor for any signs of nausea. Instructions to the child are as follows: "This is a scale from one to six. One means that you feel fine and no different to how you normally feel. Two means that you feel a little bit different or funny but not sick in the tummy. Three means that you feel a little bit sick and four means that you feel more than a little bit sick but not really sick. Five means that you feel really sick, like you are going to throw up or vomit and six means that you are being sick or vomiting. I'm going to ask you every few minutes how you feel. I want you to tell me which number from one to six best describes how you feel at that time."
1 secondary outcome
CAMPIS-R
Time frame: Peri-procedure
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Oct 2023.
- Background: PubMed 9185067Rothbaum BO, Hodges L, Kooper R. Virtual reality exposure therapy. J Psychother Pract Res. 1997 Summer;6(3):219-26.
- Background: PubMed 19178248Schneider SM, Workman ML. Effects of virtual reality on symptom distress in children receiving chemotherapy. Cyberpsychol Behav. 1999;2(2):125-34. doi: 10.1089/cpb.1999.2.125.
- Background: PubMed 10350912Riva G, Bacchetta M, Baruffi M, Rinaldi S, Molinari E. Experiential cognitive therapy: a VR based approach for the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. Stud Health Technol Inform. 1998;58:120-35.
- BackgroundStanton, D., Foreman, N., Wilson, P., & Duffy, H. (2002). Use of virtual environments to acquire spatial understanding of real world multi-level environments. 13-19. Paper presented at Fourth International Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies (ICDVRAT), Vesprem, Hungary.
- Background: PubMed 17564852Parsons TD, Bowerly T, Buckwalter JG, Rizzo AA. A controlled clinical comparison of attention performance in children with ADHD in a virtual reality classroom compared to standard neuropsychological methods. Child Neuropsychol. 2007 Jul;13(4):363-81. doi: 10.1080/13825580600943473.
- BackgroundMcComas, J., Pivik, J., & Laflamme, M. (1998). Children's transfer of spatial learning from virtual reality to real environments. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1(2), 121-128. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.1998.1.121
- Background: PubMed 10350925Pugnetti L, Mendozzi L, Barbieri E, Motta A. VR experience with neurological patients: basic cost/benefit issues. Stud Health Technol Inform. 1998;58:243-8.
- Background: PubMed 11587113Hoffman HG, Patterson DR, Carrougher GJ, Sharar SR. Effectiveness of virtual reality-based pain control with multiple treatments. Clin J Pain. 2001 Sep;17(3):229-35. doi: 10.1097/00002508-200109000-00007.
- Background: PubMed 19272275Mahrer NE, Gold JI. The use of virtual reality for pain control: a review. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2009 Apr;13(2):100-9. doi: 10.1007/s11916-009-0019-8.
- Background: PubMed 20691523Malloy KM, Milling LS. The effectiveness of virtual reality distraction for pain reduction: a systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2010 Dec;30(8):1011-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2010.07.001. Epub 2010 Jul 13.
- Background: PubMed 24891439Birnie KA, Noel M, Parker JA, Chambers CT, Uman LS, Kisely SR, McGrath PJ. Systematic review and meta-analysis of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Psychol. 2014 Sep;39(8):783-808. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu029. Epub 2014 Jun 2.
- Background: PubMed 25638483Cohen LL, Rodrigues NP, Lim CS, Bearden DJ, Welkom JS, Joffe NE, McGrath PJ, Cousins LA. Automated parent-training for preschooler immunization pain relief: a randomized controlled trial. J Pediatr Psychol. 2015 Jun;40(5):526-34. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu162. Epub 2015 Jan 30.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Jeffrey I Gold, PhD principal investigator
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Samsung Gear VR, Merge VR and Oculus Go in people with Phlebotomy and Orthopedics, run by Children's Hospital Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 7 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Oct 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Nhat Ngo, BS, BA (3233616244, nngo@chla.usc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
VAS (time frame: Approximately 5 minutes to one hour before procedure). The study lists 13 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04268901, which also lists 22 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 Oct 2023.