Using Augmented Reality With Vibroacoustic Stimulation to Improve the Patient Experience During In-Office Otorhinolaryngology Procedures

In-office procedures (IOPs) represent a cost-effective and safe alternative to operating room procedures for a myriad of disease processes across medical and surgical specialties. IOPs are performed under local anesthetic without general anesthesia or sedation, resulting in faster and often safer procedures by eliminating risks associated with general anesthesia. IOPs are primarily limited by patient tolerance, as there is a lack of currently available non-pharmacologic treatment options for patient anxiety, stress, discomfort, and pain during these procedures.

The Gate Control Theory of Pain postulates that only a limited amount of simultaneous sensory stimuli can be processed by the central nervous system and therefore non-painful stimuli, such as vibration or virtual distraction (i.e. virtual or augmented reality), can eliminate or lessen the perception of concurrent painful stimuli. The use of these non-painful stimuli has been shown to have clinical utility in the setting of procedures such as percutaneous injections and wound dressing changes.

However, the coupling of multiple sensory distraction techniques has not been described for IOPs. Furthermore, no investigation of sensory distraction techniques to reduce patient discomfort within the field of otolaryngology has been conducted. The focus of the proposed project is to improve patient experience during IOPs by coupling a novel vibroacoustic stimulation device with original AR software applications.

In-office otolaryngology procedures specifically involve using a rigid endoscope or a flexible nasolarynogoscopy to visualize the inside of a patient nose, sinus, posterior oropharynx, and vocal cords. Using these imaging modalities, awake, in-office procedures can be performed. However, these procedures are often very uncomfortable and anxiety producing.

The goal of the study is to determine whether or not wearing an augmented reality headset with a novel game and vibroacoustic simulation device can help reduce anxiety and improve the patient experience of in-office otolaryngology procedures. The device consists of an augmented reality headset worn by the patient, a vibration device that is applied to the patient's neck to help reduce the sensation of the procedure, and a clicker that allows the patient to interact with the augmented reality game environment.