Evaluation of the impact of virtual reality as a non-pharmacological intervention for pain and anxiety during hematology procedures and chemotherapy: a controlled trial

Aim This study aims to assess the efficacy of Virtual Reality (VR) during painful procedures and chemotherapy (CT) in reducing pain and anxiety for patients with hematologic malignancies.Materials and methods A crossover design with an external control group was carried out. Participants were assigned to two groups: an intervention group, with a crossover design (n patients/procedures = 112), where patients underwent the procedure with standard care only, followed by washout period, then underwent the same procedure with VR. An external control group (n patients = 94, n procedures = 101) was matched to the intervention group based on age and procedure type. Pain and anxiety were assessed subjectively before and after the procedure, with intra-individual and intergroups comparisons. Side effects were captured objectively.Results A total of 206 participants were included in this study, with a total of 213 invasive procedures. Anxiety and pain decreased more during VR period than the without VR period and external control group. VR was effective in anxiety and pain reduction during all procedure, except pain during CT (p > 0.05). Two side effects (1.8%) related to intervention were reported.Conclusion VR effectiveness was demonstrated in reducing pain and anxiety during painful procedures. It was effective in reducing anxiety during CT.Clinical trial registration [ClinicalTrials.gov] identifier is [NCT07085065]