The Impact of Virtual Reality in Enhancing the Quality of Life of Pediatric Oncology Patients

Abstract

Pediatric oncology interventions involve many challenges, such as multiple hospitalizations, invasive procedures, and adverse physical and psychological treatment side effects. Treatment burden, including administration of general anesthesia, contributes to high levels of psychological distress among pediatric patients and their families. Virtual reality (VR) is a distraction method, which offers an extremely realistic and interactive virtual environment and helps reduce pain and distress by means of a head-mounted display and headphones. VR is based on two crucial dimensions: immersion and presence, which results in the complete suspension of disbelief that the experience is artificial and allows a greater degree of presence and reaction to the stimulations. The VR technology has become a common practice in scientific and clinical research due to its affordability and ease of use. In pediatric settings, the most widely researched clinical application of VR has focused on the effectiveness of VR distraction therapy in the attenuation of acute pain, anxiety, and distress during invasive medical procedures. It has also been hypothesized to be a nonpharmacological form of analgesia that positively influences the body’s intricate pain modulation system during painful medical procedures. In this review, we showed the potential benefits of VR technology during radiotherapy and intrathecal procedures on pediatric oncology patients and its involvement in enhancing their quality of life during and after the treatment. Therefore, a collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and programmers is crucial for the inclusion of VR technology in more clinical procedures, which would consequently enhance the patient’s quality of life.