Gangnam Severance Professors Park Hyojin and Kim Yoona Team
Exposing VR Videos Before Endoscopic Procedures
Reduces State Anxiety Patient Rate by 10%
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] A study has revealed that showing a calm virtual reality (VR) screen before an endoscopic procedure reduces anxiety. This suggests the possibility of expanding the use of VR technology, which is utilized in the treatment of panic disorder and alcohol addiction, to other medical fields.
The research team led by Professors Park Hyo-jin and Kim Yoon-ah from the Department of Gastroenterology at Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital confirmed this through a study on anxiety relief using VR prior to endoscopic procedures, announced on the 9th.
Gastroenterology Department, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Professors Hyojin Park (left) and Yoona Kim.
The research team randomly assigned 40 patients who underwent endoscopic procedures at the Department of Gastroenterology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, from January 2020 to April last year, into two groups of 20 each: a VR exposure group and a non-exposure group before the procedure. The VR exposure group watched a 3 to 5-minute clip featuring underwater scenes along with sounds of gardens, beaches, and nature immediately before the procedure. Afterwards, the patients’ age, gender, medical history, type of procedure, procedure time, dosage of sedatives administered, and questionnaires were used to assess anxiety levels, pain intensity, procedure satisfaction, and sedation satisfaction before and after the procedure.
As a result, the proportion of patients showing high state anxiety with a State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) score of 45 or higher increased from 35% to 50% immediately before the procedure in the non-exposure group, whereas it decreased by 10% in the VR exposure group (P=0.007). There was no difference between the two groups in pain scores and satisfaction with the procedure, but satisfaction with sedatives was significantly higher in the VR exposure group compared to the non-exposure group.
The group exposed to virtual reality (VR) videos before the endoscopy procedure showed a decreased rate of anxiety compared to usual, while the non-exposed group experienced an increased rate of anxiety before the procedure. [Data provided by Gangnam Severance Hospital]
Professor Park explained, "If anxiety increases before an endoscopic procedure, physiological stress increases, which affects not only patient satisfaction but also recovery speed. Using non-pharmacological tools like VR can reduce side effects and improve patient satisfaction." He added, "This study is a preliminary step confirming the sedative effect of VR, and a patent application has been completed. We plan to develop a VR procedure simulation to help patients better understand the procedure in the future."
This paper was published in 'YMJ (Yonsei Medi Journal)', the comprehensive academic journal of Yonsei University College of Medicine.
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