Determination of the Effect of Virtual Reality on Pain and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Upper Endoscopy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

This randomized, controlled study aimed to evaluate the effect of virtual reality (VR) on anxiety and pain in patients undergoing upper endoscopy without sedation. The study sample consisted of 100 patients assigned to the intervention group (n = 50) or control group (n = 50) by stratified block randomization to control for sex distribution. During the upper endoscopy procedure, patients in the intervention group watched a video of natural scenery through VR goggles. Patients in the intervention group had a significantly lower mean state anxiety score than the control group (34.62 ± 7.58 vs. 40.20 ± 8.27, p = .001). During the endoscopy procedure, patients in the control group reported more pain (3.10 ± 2.06 vs. 2.40 ± 1.47), although this difference was just shy of significance (p = .054). Our results suggest that the VR intervention decreased patients' anxiety about the procedure and may lower pain levels. VR interventions can be used as an easy and effective distraction technique for anxiety management in patients undergoing sedation-free upper endoscopy.