Relieving Anxiety Through Virtual Reality Prior to Endoscopic Procedures
Yuna Kim, Sung Hwan Yoo, Jaeyoung Chun, Jie‐Hyun Kim, Young Hoon Youn, Hyojin Park
Abstract
PURPOSE: Endoscopic procedures can cause anxiety, which can lead to more uncomfortable, difficult, and incomplete procedures, in addition to greater use of sedative medication. Here, we investigate whether exposing patients to virtual reality (VR) prior to endoscopic procedures can reduce their anxiety levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients at Gangnam Severance Hospital were enrolled and divided into the VR group and the control group. Patients in the VR group were exposed to VR prior to their procedure to alleviate anxiety. The primary data outcomes were State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), pain score, satisfaction with sedation, and satisfaction with the procedure. RESULTS: =0.017). CONCLUSION: VR exposure may relieve patients' anxiety levels prior to endoscopic procedures, but further well-designed placebo-controlled studies are needed. VR, an inexpensive, easily available, and non-invasive method, also improved the satisfaction with sedation of endoscopic procedures.