VR enhancing minimally invasive procedures at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children’s concerns about being stressed about injections and needs are being solved by the Interventional Radiology team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) with the help of virtual reality (VR) technology. Since this is one of the most-visited areas of the hospital, the team has added procedure-specific VR games to help patients feel less anxious and uncomfortable during operations. Phoenix Hunt was hired as the facility’s very first ‘embedded hospital VR technologist’ in August to help with this project. Hunt leads patients through treatments using customized VR experiences, greatly improving the patient experience.
As Director of Interventional Radiology, Joseph Miller, MD, MS, brought up the fact that VR has been used a lot in healthcare to help people relax. But at CHLA, the technology is used in a new way to help kids feel less pain, anxiety, and discomfort while also cutting down on the need for anesthesia.
Using medical images like X-rays, ultrasounds, and MRIs to provide minimally invasive treatments is what interventional radiology is all about. Most treatments only take a few minutes, but getting ready for them and getting better afterward often takes a lot of time and resources. Dr. Miller said that many people have to go without food for a long time overnight to get anesthesia for short treatments. The healing time for sedation can further add to practical hurdles for families and care teams. The team wants to speed up the process and make it less stressful for patients by using VR.
When Keira, a high school student, had her test, she was given a list of choices, from full sleep to VR-assisted local anesthesia. She wasn’t sure about VR at first, but after seeing the gear and games, she started to think about it. The “passthrough” feature of the headset also let her see into the room, which gave her even more peace of mind. Keira played VR games and talked to her care team during her 30-minute treatment. She only needed local anesthesia and wasn’t sedated.
When Keira talked about the experience later, she said that VR and the help of her care team helped her stay calm and aware, which made her feel safe. Hunt said that VR can put patients in a different world, which can help them forget about the stresses of their everyday lives. Researchers at the Biobehavioral Pain Lab of CHLA, under the guidance of Jeffrey Gold, PhD, have found that virtual reality (VR) can dull the brain’s pain sensors by drawing attention to other things. This makes pain and worry feel less intense.
Phoenix Hunt, who studied virtual reality game design at Savannah College of Art and Design, is a big reason why CHLA’s VR program is so successful. Hunt moved from making games to working directly with patients in hospitals because he was interested in how VR could be used in healthcare. Hunt’s job shows how personalized use of technology can change the way patients are cared for, which fits with the team’s goal of making a model for similar programs in other hospitals.
The VR technologist job at CHLA is possible thanks to the help of the non-profit organization Child’s Play, which funds hospital technology adoption programs. Hunt joined the team in August and, within a month, successfully led their first patient through a VR-assisted operation.
The story of Keira shows how VR technology has changed things at CHLA. After being told she had a thyroid lump that was very likely cancerous, she was nervous about having another test. Her past experiences with drugs had gone well, but the thought of redoing the process was frightening. Keira not only dealt with her nervousness through VR, but she also went through the operation without being sedated, which was a big step forward in her care.
The unique merging of virtual reality at CHLA shows the potential for technology to improve the quality of care for pediatric patients, providing more positive and less stressful medical experiences. CHLA keeps setting new standards for patient-centered care by lowering the need for drugs and making patients more comfortable.
