Impacts of Intrafraction Virtual Reality-Based Environment Modification on Procedural Anxiety, Heart Rate, and Overall Radiation Therapy Experience During External Beam Radiation Therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Procedural anxiety of cancer treatments may negatively impact patients and treatments. Mindfulness-promoting environment modification with virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used across medicine to minimize procedural anxiety. We aimed to assess the impacts of intrafraction mindfulness-promoting VR use during external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) on radiation therapy experience and physiological measures of distress.

Methods and materials

Adult patients receiving EBRT between May and October 2023 at our institution without contraindications to wearing VR were eligible. Participants had heart rates recorded before and after EBRT and completed a post-EBRT survey for 1 treatment without intervention, and 1 using VR. Participants completed the Radiotherapy Experience

SUBMITTER: Kriegler C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11602981 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature