Virtual Reality During Arterial Puncture and Its Impact on Patient-Reported Pain Scores, Anxiety Scores, and Patient Satisfaction.

Background

Arterial puncture for blood gas sampling is a painful procedure, often requiring multiple attempts. At this institution, the current standard of care does not include regular use of analgesics, which may lead to high anxiety and low patient satisfaction. Virtual reality (VR) technology has shown promise in reducing pain and anxiety in various medical procedures, though its use in arterial puncture remains unexplored. This study investigates the effectiveness of VR in reducing pain and anxiety during arterial puncture and its impact on patient satisfaction.

Methods

A mixed-method study was conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's pulmonary function testing lab. Forty-one subjects scheduled for arterial blood sampling were assigned to either VR (21 subjects) or standard care (20 subjects) during the procedure. Remarkable differences in pain, anxiety, and patient satisfaction were evaluated. Additionally, qualitative insights were gathered from interviews with eleven subjects.

Results

Quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant (P < .001) and clinically important reduction in pain within the VR group with a 63% decrease that exceeded the minimum clinically important difference. Anxiety levels also showed a statistically significant (P < .001) and clinically meaningful reduction, with a 16.4-point decrease, surpassing the minimum clinically important difference. Patient satisfaction during the procedure was substantially higher in the VR group (P = .004), though no difference was observed in overall satisfaction (P = .21). Qualitative data indicated that subjects valued VR as a distraction from pain and felt more cared for, contributing positively to the overall patient experience.

Conclusions

VR reduced pain and anxiety and enhanced patient satisfaction during arterial puncture. However, limitations such as small sample size and inclusion of only English language-speaking subjects restrict the ability to generalize results. Despite this, VR may show potential as a tool to improve patient experience and care quality.