ArticleTechnical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology2021
Effects of immersive virtual reality exposure in preparing pediatric oncology patients for radiation therapy.
Article in Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- OncoVR - Virtual Reality in Oncology for Patient-centered Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Current oncology reports · 2026Pooled it
- Upright positioning in pediatric radiotherapy: rationale, safety considerations and a research roadmap.Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- Large Language Model and Pediatric Neurosurgery - A Neurosurgeon's Perspective on the Artificial Nervous System.Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society · 2026Article
- Mixed reality-guided intraoperative visual support for combined intracavitary and interstitial brachytherapy for cervical cancer.Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2026Article
- The use of virtual reality in cancer patient health education: A scoping review.International journal of nursing sciences · 2026Review
- Visualization-driven digital technologies in oncology: current applications, technological advances, and future directions.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Review
- Graph-theoretical analysis of EEG-based functional connectivity during emotional experience in virtual reality for emotion recognition.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Acceptability and Usability of Smileyscope Virtual Reality for Paediatric Pain Management During Burn Procedures: Perspectives of Patients, Carers and Clinicians.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Article
- Supporting paediatric patients to receive radiation therapy without sedation or general anaesthetic.Journal of medical radiation sciences · 2023Article
- Changes in satisfaction and anxiety about radiotherapy for pediatric cancer by two-step audio-visual instruction.Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2023Article
- Extended Reality Use in Paediatric Intensive Care: A Scoping Review.Journal of intensive care medicine · 2023Article
- Nature-Based Virtual Reality Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot for Caregiver Respite.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2023Article
- Integration of art and technology in personalized radiation oncology care: Experiences, evidence, and perspectives.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Development of a smartphone virtual reality game to support the radiation therapy of children and adolescents in proton centers.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- Virtual integration of patient education in radiotherapy (VIPER).Technical innovations & patient support in radiation oncology · 2022Article
- Effect of Immersive Virtual Reality on Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Students' In-Dwelling Urinary Catheter Skill and Learning Satisfaction.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Mitigating negative emotions through virtual reality and embodiment.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Article
- The Impact of Virtual Reality (VR) on Psychological and Physiological Variables in Children Receiving Chemotherapy: A Pilot Cross-Over Study.Integrative cancer therapiesArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundProcedural anxiety in children undergoing radiation therapy (RT) is common and is associated with poor procedural compliance and an increased used of general anaesthesia (GA). There is emerging evidence that Virtual Reality (VR) technology may reduce medical procedural distress through realistic and educative exposure to actual procedures via virtual simulation.
objectiveTo examine the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of an Immersive VR exposure intervention aimed at reducing anxiety and enhancing preparedness for pediatric patients undergoing radiation therapy, and their parents.
methodA convenience sample of patients (6-18 years) scheduled for RT, and their parent caregivers, were recruited consecutively over a 14-month period. Patients were exposed to a virtual simulation of both CT Simulation (Phase 1) and RT (Phase 2), prior to these procedures occurring. Pre-and-post VR intervention measures (anxiety, health literacy) were administered across multiple time points. GA requirement following VR intervention was also recorded.
resultsThirty children and adolescents were recruited (88% participation rate). High VR acceptability and satisfaction was reported by patients, parents and radiation therapists. There were minimal adverse effects associated with VR. The VR intervention was found to improve children's understanding of the RT procedures (health literacy) and lower pre-procedural child and parental anxiety. Only one child in the study required GA (3.33%).
conclusionsThis study provides novel and preliminary support for utilizing VR to prepare children and families for RT. Subsequent implementation of VR into routine paediatric RT has the potential to improve clinical and operational outcomes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.