Virtual Reality for Outpatient Cancer Pain Management
- Conditions
- CancerCancer Pain
- Interventions
- Device: Virtual reality experience for 10 minutes
- Registration Number
- NCT05442866
- Lead Sponsor
- Medstar Health Research Institute
- Brief Summary
This is a non-randomized, unblinded dose-titration study to evaluate different "doses" of virtual reality to impact moderate-to-severe pain in patients living with cancer. After consenting to participate, in addition to usual pharmacologic pain management, participants will receive 1 week of VR daily for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR twice a day for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR use as desired by the participants.
- Detailed Description
The purpose of this a non-randomized, unblinded dose-titration study to evaluate the impact of virtual reality therapy on mitigating moderate to severe pain in outpatients living with cancer.
Outpatients receiving cancer care at the Washington Cancer Institute (Washington, DC) will be considered for enrollment in this study if able to provide consent, at least 18 years old, and report moderate-severe pain (at least 4 out of 10 where pain is rated on a Likert scale between zero and 10) in the previous 7 days as a result of either cancer or cancer treatment. Palliative care consultation and/or referral to palliative care is not required for eligibility or participation. Additionally, participation will not be limited by whether subjects are receiving specific cancer-directed therapies at the time of enrollment. Subjects will be excluded if they already use VR for personal use, have intractable nausea/vomiting, history of motion sickness, history of seizures or epilepsy, have cranial structure abnormalities that prevent use of VR headset, or are currently enrolled in a palliative care or pain management study. Subjects will also be excluded if they have limited vision or vision defects that are not corrected with prescription eyeglasses, or if participants are unable or do not wish to wear required corrective eyeglasses with the VR headset. Informed consent will be conducted before enrolling each patient.
This is a non-randomized, unblinded dose-titration study. After consenting to participate, in addition to usual pharmacologic pain management, participants will receive 1 week of VR daily for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR twice a day for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR use as desired by the participants.
Because of the nature of the compared interventions, subjects and researchers cannot be blinded to intervention. Our primary outcome measure will determine the impact of VR on self-reported pain score in the last week (numeric rating scale, collected weekly). Self-reported pain experience remains the standard for clinical pain research. Secondary outcomes will measure pain interference (PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form, collected weekly), as-needed opioid use for patients taking opioid analgesics at the time of enrollment (self-reported using medication administration form), satisfaction with VR intervention and overall pain management (collected weekly), and survey of preferences for VR thematic content (collected after Week 4).
Following consent, subjects will complete baseline outcome assessments including self-reported pain score in the last week, the PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form, as-needed opioid use in the last week if applicable, and satisfaction with overall pain management. Subjects will then be provided with a VR headset and paired Touch controllers to bring home for the duration of the study and instructions on the frequency of use for each week. A member of the research will educate the patient on the technology and assure comfort with use. The research study coordinator will contact patients by phone at the end of each week to confirm dates and duration of use as specified by the study protocol, collect self-reported pain score in the last week, the PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form, as-needed opioid use in the last week if applicable, and satisfaction with the VR intervention and overall pain management. Additionally, participants will be surveyed on preferences for VR thematic content at the end of Week 3.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 33
- Age 18 years and older
- Have diagnosis of cancer (any type)
- Report moderate-severe pain related to cancer or cancer treatment at baseline
- Able to provide consent
- Already use VR for personal use
- Have intractable nausea/vomiting, history of motion sickness, history of seizures or epilepsy
- Have cranial structure abnormalities that prevent use of VR headset
- Currently enrolled in a palliative care or pain management study
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Virtual reality (VR) dosing arm Virtual reality experience for 10 minutes All participants will proceed in this single arm, in which each participant will complete baseline measures, then receive 1 week of VR daily for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR twice a day for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR use as desired by the participant.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in self-reported pain score from baseline (Study day 0) to each subsequent measurement (measured on Study day 7, Study day 14, Study day 21) A) baseline (study day 0), B) study day 7, C) study day 14, D) study day 21 Participant reports average pain (Likert scale 0-10, 0=pain, 10=worst pain) over last 7 days
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form from baseline (Study day 0) to each subsequent measurement (measured on Study day 7, Study day 14, Study day 21) A) baseline (study day 0), B) study day 7, C) study day 14, D) study day 21 Participant completes PROMIS measure of pain interference over last 7 days
Change in as-needed opioid doses from baseline (Study day 0) to each subsequent measurement (measured on Study day 7, Study day 14, Study day 21) A) baseline (study day 0), B) study day 7, C) study day 14, D) study day 21 Participant reports how many as-needed opioid doses used in last 7 days (only for participants prescribed as-needed opioids)
Change in satisfaction with overall pain management from baseline (Study day 0) to each subsequent measurement (measured on Study day 7, Study day 14, Study day 21) A) baseline (study day 0), B) study day 7, C) study day 14, D) study day 21 Participant reports satisfaction with pain management over last 7 days (Likert scale, 0=very unsatisfied, 10=highly satisfied)
Satisfaction with virtual reality intervention over previous 7 days A) study day 7, B) study day 14, C) study day 21 Participant reports satisfaction with virtual reality intervention over last 7 days (Likert scale, 0=very unsatisfied, 10=highly satisfied)
Preferences for virtual reality thematic content (measured once, with no comparison) Study day 21 Participant chooses preferred visual thematic content (as many as preferred) from photos of different images (e.g. beachscape, rain forest, luxury auto, monastery, etc.)
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
🇺🇸Washington, District of Columbia, United States