Implementation of Virtual Reality for Pain Management in Children’s Health Care Settings

Prior to the VR workshop, 47 HCPs across Quebec completed the ADOPT-VR2 survey reporting an average score of 5.1/9 (s = 1.4). While HCPs had a positive attitude towards VR (m = 7.4; s = 2.0), their VR use may be influenced by social norms (m = 5.0; s = 2.3). Lower scores of behavioural control (m = 3.8; s = 2.3) and little confidence in using VR with patients (m = 38.8%) along with significant barriers (e.g. lack of support staff, set-up assistance, funds, knowledge, and space/storage issues), contribute to the lag of implementing VR into practice. To address these gaps, a VR workshop was hosted with 95 individuals including scientists, trainees, industry leaders, non-for-profits, and patient advocates. Attendees learned the latest VR evidence for procedural pain and anxiety management and mental health disorders, and received copies of the KT interventions, including policies and procedures, research evidence summaries, step-by-step guides, comic strips, and videos. Further, attendees learned about key theoretical frameworks in implementation, to create and share their own plans to integrate VR in their practice. These plans are presently being analyzed to prioritize the ongoing development of KT interventions to further support safe VR use and integration into practice.