Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of Surgery Prep, a Virtual Reality Perioperative Walkthrough Designed to Help Pediatric Patients Psychologically Prepare for Surgery

Purpose High levels of preoperative anxiety amongst pediatric patients can lead to postoperative complications and increased healthcare costs, necessitating effective non-pharmacological interventions. This study evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of “Surgery Prep,” a gamified virtual reality (VR) app that features a perioperative walkthrough designed to help pediatric patients psychologically prepare for surgery. Method The VR application was implemented by a Child Life Specialist (CLS) at a hospital using Meta Quest VR hardware to 15 eligible patients ages 5 to 14 years scheduled for a surgical procedure requiring anesthesia. Pediatric patients and their parents were surveyed to assess the application’s feasibility and acceptability and effectiveness into psychologically preparation and reducing pre-operative anxiety in pediatric patients before surgery. Result The results of this study demonstrated the feasibility of a VR perioperative walkthrough by the CLS team who recruited 15 pediatric patients with 3 refusals to participate. All patients completed the study. Acceptability was highlighted by patients and parents reporting the VR experience to be fun, interactive, engaging, and a tool for distraction and psychological surgery preparation. This matched a reasonably high average System Usability score of 72.2 (95% CI = 64.0 to 80.3). The most common complaint from parents and patients was that the headset was heavy. Conclusion This study found that a VR app designed to reduce preoperative anxiety was feasible for deployment by CLS in a hospital and acceptable by pediatric patients and their parents. The VR experience introduced a means to psychologically prepare patients for surgery and distract them while they await surgery in a hospital.