Virtual reality headsets ease treatments for young patients at Advocate Children’s Hospitals

Virtual reality headsets ease treatments for young patients at Advocate Children’s Hospitals

By Susan Degrane
Chicago Tribune - Daily Southtown

“Beyond helping children experience joy and feel more at ease, Advocate’s child life specialists help them handle medical procedures that sometimes come with a dose of discomfort.

These can include blood draws, MRIs, X-rays, health monitoring and the application of peripherally inserted central catheters used for administering intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, chemotherapy and other medicines.

On any given day, Myren and other child life specialists encourage kids undergoing these procedures to blow bubbles, read I-Spy books, play with iPads, employ deep breathing, or simply engage in conversation with loved ones.

Recently the hospital acquired another form of distraction that for some kids seems to trump all others — a virtual reality system created by KindVR.”

EAMC offers young patients an 'exciting escape from the stress' with virtual reality therapy

By Alex Husting - Opelika-Auburn News

”The East Alabama Medical Center has been providing a new form of stress and pain relief for its pediatric patients through virtual reality therapy.

EAMC reduces the stress for patients in the pediatric unit by introducing them to the KindVR headset for recreational and therapeutic activities. It’s part of a program that finds ways around the limitations of standard hospital rooms and allows for more opportunities to participate in such activities.

“Using the KindVR headset provides our pediatric patients a fun and exciting escape from the stress they may be encountering,” said Madison Ard, EAMC’s child life specialist. “We are always looking to improve our patient experience and technologies like this are certainly a way to do that.” …

KindVR at Shriners Children's Hospital Spokane - Video

“It’s like a miracle, it works like a charm and it distracts you from your pain really well.”

-Henry, Patient, Age 11

“It works really well because it pulls the patient’s attention away from what’s happening into this beautiful virtual world that's designed to be very relaxing. And because of that, and with a little bit of queuing and telling kids what to expect and what to do, they’re able to get through their procedures really well.”

-  Larissa Sims, Recreational Therapist

Shriners Children’s Hospital in Spokane created a video to share their firsthand experience using the KindVR system during orthopedic procedures. Watch the video to learn how Recreational Therapists and Pediatricians use KindVR’s distraction therapy during painful orthopedic procedures.

New Laceration Repair Procedure & KindVR Study Published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine

The Journal of Emergency Medicine published a new study from The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore evaluating the use of KindVR during laceration repair procedures in the ED.

Investigators: Sondra Maureen Nemetski MD, PhD, Danielle I. Berman MS, CCLS, Hnin Khine MD, Daniel M.Fein MD

Read the study manuscript in the Journal of Emergency Medicine June 2022.

VR to Support Pediatric Clinical Research

Brave new world: trialling VR to ease pain and stress

By Kezia Parkins

“Clinical Trials Arena speaks to KindVR founder Simon Robertson to find out how the technology works and its benefits for patients, parents and providers.”

Emergency Room IV Insertion Study at SickKids Hospital Published in the Clinical Journal of Pain

The Clinical Journal of Pain published a new study evaluating the use of KindVR therapy during intravenous (IV) insertion procedures within the Pediatric Emergency Dept at The Hospital for Sick Children. Led by Dr. Sasha Litwin, the study showed a clinically significant reduction in pain for patients in the VR group.

Read the full study manuscript in the February 2021 issue of the Clinical Journal of Pain or contact KindVR for more information.

Sickle Cell Pain Crisis VR Study at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Huffington Post

Doctors Are Using Virtual Reality To Help Patients Deal With Pain

A pilot program using VR technology shows promising results for managing pain without medication.

By Beth Krietsch / Photo of Dr. Puri by Brandon Dill

Excerpt from the article on Huffington Post:

“Pain is one of the most common causes of ER visits for sickle cell patients and it also debilitates them emotionally and functionally,” said Dr. Latika Puri, an assistant faculty member in the department of hematology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “So that’s been a big motive in thinking about medications other than opioids.”

Helping Oncology Patients at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC - WBTV Video

Levine Children’s Hospital introduces virtual reality tech to ease children during medical procedures

By Jennifer Miller and Sharonne Hayes

Excerpt from full article on WBTV.com:
“I usually am wincing because it hurts so much,” said Brooks. “But with the VR this time, it was like, ‘Are you done yet?’ And [the nurses] say, ‘I’ve been done. I’ve just been watching you play.’”

Port Access Study at SickKids Hospital Published in Pediatric Journal of Oncology Nursing

Our clinical study at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada was recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing. This study assessed the usability (ease of use and understanding, acceptability) of a custom VR intervention for children with cancer undergoing implantable venous access device (IVAD) needle insertion. 

Cure 4 The Kids Clinic using KindVR on Channel 13 KTNV News

Virtual reality goggles help ease the pain of cancer treatment for kids

For children facing serious illnesses like cancer, the treatment process can be scary because of the physical pain. But now thanks to a new grant, one local treatment center has a high-tech way to help ease their pain.

Cure 4 The Kids is a nonprofit clinic that treats children with serious medical conditions including cancer. Thanks to a grant written in part by neuropsychologist Dr. Danielle Bello, the clinic has just received 3 sets of virtual reality goggles. The VR goggles are made by KindVR and the experiences are designed to help distract children and ease their pain while undergoing treatment.

(Read the full story on KNTV.com)

St. Jude explores VR as a distraction technique for the pain crises of sickle cell disease.

Virtual Reality: A Distraction from Sickle Cell Pain

St. Jude explores virtual reality as a distraction technique for children and teens undergoing the pain crises of sickle cell disease.

By Mike O’Kelly; Photo by Peter Barta

Patients in a new St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital study will soon dive deep into the ocean for a marine experience alongside tropical fish, friendly seals and curious dolphins. While launching multi-colored bubbles at a variety of aquatic life, they’ll navigate an underwater terrain of sunken ruins and stone columns.

Swimsuits, scuba gear and beach towels won’t be necessary—the underwater journey is part of a new virtual reality experience designed to distract children with sickle cell disease who have acute pain crises.

People with sickle cell disease have red blood cells that are sickle-shaped and hard, making it difficult for their cells to move through blood vessels and deliver oxygen to body tissues. Pain crises are the recurring episodes that occur when normal blood flow is disrupted.

The pain is different for each individual. Some children get complete relief from routine pain medicines while others need more time or increased dosage before the pain subsides.

Three years ago, Doralina Anghelescu, MD, director of the hospital’s Pain Management Service, began a clinical trial to see if adding the drug gabapentin to the standard regimen would lessen acute pain from sickle cell crises more quickly or completely. The study is ongoing, but when presented with the opportunity of including virtual reality technology as a distraction tool, the researchers decided to try it.

The virtual reality project will include 76 patients—half will receive virtual reality sessions and the other half will receive standard treatment. St. Jude is partnering with the Memphis-based Methodist Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center on the clinical trial. This is the first study at St. Jude to use virtual reality, helping further position the institution as a leader in pain management for pediatric patients. (Read the Full Story on St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's website)

Akron Children's Hospital using KindVR

Virtual Reality (VR) making the rounds at Akron Children’s

by Harlan Spector

Leukemia patient Tommy Peachock, 12, got lost in an underwater world, thanks to help from volunteer Jessica Benson and the hospital’s new virtual reality (VR) technology.

Outfitted with a headset and controller, 12-year-old Tommy Peachock sat cross-legged on his hospital bed and floated through a bright, blue sea. His head swiveled side to side, up and down, as he watched whales and dolphins swim up to him.

It was Tommy’s first experience with virtual reality (VR), a technology that’s finding new and varied uses in medical settings.

Akron Children’s Hospital landed 6 units in August from KindVR, a California company. KindVR works with a number of hospitals researching various medical uses of VR. The goal is to help distract and calm young patients who are in pain or facing medical procedures.

Research has shown that VR distraction is effective at reducing pain. More studies are underway to see if VR is valuable in different hospital settings like emergency rooms and before surgery.

Tommy is a leukemia patient of the Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders. He was hospitalized recently after spiking a fever. His family is from Hubbard in Trumbull County.

Tommy was dressed and ready to go home on this morning.

Solomon Hubbs, 10, dialysis and sickle cell patient

With his mother Sharon watching, hospital volunteer Jessica Benson slipped an Android phone into the headset, showed Tommy the controller and started the KindVR Aqua program.

With his controller, Tommy blew virtual bubbles at sea creatures and objects, which turned them into rainbow colors. Tommy was absorbed in the 15-minute underwater journey.

About halfway through, he broke silence. “There’s a seal in front of me,” he called out.

Acquiring VR units was Jessica’s idea.  A former substitute schoolteacher, she is enthusiastic about VR, pointing out that it helps reduce pain and thus reliance painkillers. She spreads the virtues of VR every chance she gets. (Read the full story on the Akron Children's Hospital website)

Children's Hospital of Wisconsin's Use of VR for Oncology Patients

For children with cancer or blood disorders, virtual reality may be an effective way to reduce distress

By Hilary Dickinson

13-year-old Emanuel found virtual reality to be a welcome distraction during a recent procedure at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin (Image via CHW Blog)

All around Emanuel Monge was bright blue water and rainbow-colored fish. Smiling sea lions passed by, as gray whales soared overhead. Dancing dolphins bobbed above an array of artifacts from a shipwreck long ago.

The 13-year-old glided through the ocean, taking in the sights and sounds surrounding him. He flung balls at fish, discovering that the contact zapped them into neon colors. He learned if he launched enough balls, he’d get an ancient column to topple over to the ocean floor.

11-year-old Toben, a patient at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, tried out virtual reality earlier this year (Image via CHW Blog)

After a few more minutes of looking around and playing, his boat suddenly came into view. The next thing he knew he was back to where he had been: the MACC Fund Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

(Read the Full Article on the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Blog)

Mark Zuckerberg shows KindVR on stage during Oculus Keynote

Mark Zuckerberg showed a photo of a patient using KindVR software on stage during his keynote speech at Facebook's annual Oculus Connect 4 Conference in San Jose, CA. We're proud to be publicly recognized for our work in the areas of pediatric pain and stress mitigation. 

Upworthy.com Story about KindVR at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

There's a cool new way to help kids with cancer keep calm during treatment.

Story by Upworthy.com & Northwestern Mutual

Dr. Hoag has been letting her patients try VR informally, and is getting ready to conduct a clinical study on its benefits. Image via Northwestern Mutual.

Jenny Hoag, a pediatric psychologist at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, tells the story of one patient, Jamie*, whose experience demonstrates just how distressing regular procedures can be for kids with cancer and other chronic diseases:

"I had worked with him since the beginning of his treatment, and he really, really struggled," she says. "He would get here and immediately feel nauseous and anxious and would almost always vomit, sometimes more than once, before we even did anything."

Image to via Northwestern Mutual.

Jamie rejected Hoag’s coping mechanisms, but once she suggested virtual reality, his curiosity won out.

Hoag brought in a virtual reality program that makes the wearer feel as though they're underwater, being pushed along calmly while viewing colorful fish, ships, and other distracting scenes. (Read the full story on Upworthy.com)