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A Virtual Solution to a Painful Reality: An Analysis of Virtual Reality Integration into Paediatric Pain Management

Advancements in virtual reality (VR) technology have the potential to revolutionise many areas of medicine. In particular, VR use for paediatric pain management is offering promising clinical results, yet the long-term effects of this technology—both for patients and healthcare systems—remain unknown. The goal of this honors thesis was to analyse the current state of VR integration into paediatric pain management. This research answers two main questions: 1) How does VR function as an effective pain management tool for children? And 2) What are providers’ opinions of VR as an effective tool in paediatric pain management? This first part of this thesis addresses the former question through a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature related to VR use in children experiencing acute or chronic pain. To answer the latter question, interviews were completed with providers affiliated with the CHARIOT program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, which is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at implementing VR in paediatric medicine. These interviews addressed five themes related to providers’ use of VR: motivations, barriers, experiences, challenges and opportunities. Providers’ responses were summarised and evaluated against published opinions of VR use in medicine. This thesis concluded that there is a significant need for further research on the use of VR in paediatric pain management. Additionally, in order for VR to be effectively employed in current clinical practice, it is essential that preliminary provider experiences be used to develop a standard VR implementation protocol that can be used by healthcare systems across the United States. Ultimately, this thesis contributes both to the academic literature on VR use and offers a novel analysis of provider opinions that will help to ensure that VR integration into paediatric pain management is done both with efficacy and integrity.