PROJECT 2020–2023

Virtual Reality
and Coping
with Procedural Pain
in Burn
Patients

The main aim of the intended project is to reduce feeling of procedural pain (when changing bandages) in burn patients through a developed and pilot-verified application for virtual reality (hereinafter VR).

In addition to pharmacological pain therapy, there are a number of nonpharmacological options (eg, relaxation techniques) that are based on distracting attention from the feeling of pain. VR appears to be the most promising of these options and, in addition to distraction, it also reduces anxiety and depressive symptoms and enhances patient cooperation. The studies also agree on the beneficial role of immersivity; a sense of immersion in VR.

Milestones of the project VRBURNS.EU

Milestones of the project

05 2020
Getting support and starting a project
05–05 2020–21
Pilot verification phase
11 2020
Provision of technical equipment (PC – Eyetrackinkg)
12 2020
Realization of I. Workshop

The workshop took place on 19 December 2020 in FN KV. Part of this workshop was the presentation of the project, the involvement of participants and also answering key questions about the whole organization of the involvement of virtual reality in the dressing of the patients. The medical staff also tried out virtual reality, including its inclusion in the clothes of patients with burn trauma, ie. a checklist has been introduced

12 2020
Pilot version of the application in virtual reality
01 2021
Submission of interim report
01 2021
Pilot verification of VR application on the first patient
05 2021
Realization II. Workshop

At this workshop, the application and virtual reality were presented to the medical staff (especially the dressing nurses and doctors). Emphasis was placed on significant differences from the pilot version of the application. This workshop will take place at FN KV.

05 2021
Application for control group
06–06 2021–23
Data collection
10 2021
Data were collected from ten patients
4 2022
Conference outputs: 12th Congress Of The European Pain Federation EFIC, Dublin

Raudenska, J., Zielina, M., Dostal, D., Javurkova, A. Virtual Reality and Coping With Anxiety and Associated Procedural Pain In Burn Patients – First Connclusion From The Preliminary Data Of The Project. 12th Congress Of The European Pain Federation EFIC. 27. – 30. 4. 2022, Dublin, Ireland.

05 2022
Data were collected from twenty patients
05 2022
Project meeting – Realization of III. Workshop
05 2022
Conference outputs: 22nd Annual Burn Medicine Conference, Ostrava

Doležal, D., Zajíček, R. Virtual reality and procedural pain management in burn trauma patients. 22nd Annual Burn Medicine Conference [Virtuální realita a zvládání procedurální bolesti u pacientů s popáleninovým traumatem. 22.výroční konference popáleninové medicíny]. 19. – 20. 5. 2022, Ostrava

09 2022
Data were collected from thirty patients
9 2022
Confernce outputs: 39nd Psychology days, Olomouc

Šmahaj, J., Zielina, M., Javůrková, A., Raudenská, J., Dostál, D., Doležal, D., Zajíček, R. Possibilities and limits of procedural pain management in burn trauma patients using virtual reality. [Možnosti a limity zvládání procedurální bolesti u pacientů s popáleninovým traumatem pomocí využití virtuální reality]. Psychologické dny 2022., 14. – 16. 9. 2022, Olomouc.

10 2022
Thank you all. However, some milestones are still to come!

The project team would like to thank all patients and medical staff involved in the ongoing research. We look forward to continued collaboration.

01 2023
Submission of interim report
02 2023

ACTIVE

Data were collected from forty-five patients
07–12 2023
Publication of project results
12 2023
Completion of the project
More about the project