Use of Virtual Reality (VR) in Pain and Anxiety Reduction in Inpatient Paediatric Venepuncture and Cannulation

Objectives

1. Conduct initial acceptability/feasibility testing of VRH use with children undergoing venepuncture or cannulation in an acute, often unplanned inpatient setting in a children's hospital.
2. Assess level of child and parent reported pain during procedure as well as change in heart rate.
3. Generate pilot data to design software and develop methods, outcome measures and patient/family engagement for a large randomised control trial (RCT) in the same setting to establish efficacy of VRH in reduction of perceived pain.

Outcome

1. Perceived and reported pain/anxiety scores for children undergoing venepuncture or cannulation with VRH.
2. Change in heart rate before, during and after painful procedure
3. Clinicians' feedback on the use of VRH in inpatient painful procedures

STUDY DESIGN and METHODS of DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ANALYIS Practitioners will be encouraged to contact the research team each time they are to perform a procedure between 0830H and 1600H and, unless already with another child using VRH, the research team will come to speak to parents to consent to the study. If consent is obtained then the procedure will be performed using current standard care as well as use of a VRH. The Oculus Go is a cheap and quick to set up headset. Off the shelf software will be selected that will distract but not require the movement of both arms. Software such as The Blu, Ocean Rift and Pet lab will be selected, dependent upon the age of the patient.