A recent study has illuminated the potential of virtual reality to significantly mitigate preoperative anxiety in patients awaiting cardiac surgery, offering a promising nonpharmacological alternative to traditional methods.
Virtual Reality as an Effective Tool
Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a beneficial intervention in medical settings, particularly for reducing preoperative anxiety in cardiac surgery patients. Recent findings from a randomized, controlled trial at the Mayo Clinic demonstrate that VR can significantly lower anxiety levels more effectively than traditional tablet-based methods. In the study, patients using VR reported an average anxiety decrease of 2.9 points, compared to a decrease of 2.0 points in those using tablet interventions.
While much of the research to date using VR involved younger patient populations, these research findings suggest that immersive VR was effective and well tolerated in older patients. This highlights the potential of VR to serve as a more inclusive method for alleviating anxiety among older adults who may benefit greatly from such technologies.
Implications for Patient Care
Incorporating VR into preoperative care could revolutionize patient experiences and potentially enhance surgical outcomes. By providing a nonpharmacological approach to anxiety reduction, VR not only avoids the side effects often associated with anxiolytic medications but also improves psychological readiness for surgery.
This research represents a step forward in improving the patient experience and potentially using this approach to optimize postoperative recovery, says Jordan Miller, Ph.D., a cardiovascular disease researcher at Mayo Clinic. With its capacity to reduce medication dependency, VR enables a more holistic and patient-centric approach to surgical preparation and recovery.