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C
ertain procedures cause anxiety
for patients. That's especially true
at my facility, where we're treat-
ing children. When we received a $13,000
grant for 3 virtual reality (VR) headsets,
we put them to good use, and it's been a
huge success for us. I've used VR with 6
patients so far, and it's been used in our
oncology and neurology clinics, too.
To go with the headsets, we have spe-
cial phones that feature 3 VR apps.
There's a scuba diving app where you
dive down and shoot bubbles at fish.
There's a meditation app. And there's an
MRI experience — the kids watch it
through the goggles as if they're having an MRI, so they better
know what to expect before they actually have one.
Each child gets an individual package before he uses the VR
set. It has a hair net, and a piece of foam that sticks on front of
the goggles, on the part that's up against their face. We put
covers over the headphones of the headset. Once a patient is
done, we remove all those things, and then use sanitizing
wipes to clean the strap, the headphones and the goggles. We
also use lens cleansers on the goggles.
Andrea Westmoreland
Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital
Charlotte, N.C.
andrea.westmoreland@atriumhealth.com
Virtual Reality Headsets Take Patients to Another Place
• DISTRACTION IN ACTION VR headsets
can help take patients' minds off unpleas-
ant procedures.
Atrium
Health
Levine
Children's
Hospital
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