Anyone who has ever had surgery or a nerve-wracking visit to a doctor’s office understands how debilitating the anxiety leading up to an appointment can be. But what if you could be transported to a calming environment while you await your procedure, without having to rely on anti-anxiety medications?
Technology has now given us a way to achieve this by utilizing virtual reality to make medical experiences less anxiety-inducing. Access Sports is excited to be the first orthopaedic center in New Hampshire to utilize the anxiety-reducing benefits of virtual reality with innovative technology from appliedVR.
How Does Virtual Reality in Healthcare Work?
At no additional cost, patients will be able to wear the virtual reality gear while waiting for their procedure to begin or while in post-operative recovery. It doesn’t matter if the procedure is surgical or an in-office procedure; patients will have the option of using this technology as a distraction to calm their nerves if the experience brings them anxiety.
The virtual reality headset is designed specifically for clinical use. With it set in place like a pair of goggles would be, patients can choose to be transported into more than 20 different experiences, like:
- Games
- Travel
- Sports
- Music
- Nature
What Are the Benefits of Using Virtual Reality in Healthcare?
Many patients become consumed with anxiety over upcoming appointments or from dealing with the pain they are in after a procedure. When utilizing virtual reality, patients can receive relaxing and therapeutic benefits, as well as entertainment, which can be helpful in distracting them from anxiety-inducing appointments.
According to appliedVR case studies, pre-clinical results showed a 63% reduction in anxiety, and clinical results showed a 24% decrease in pain when patients used virtual reality. Because of these benefits, virtual reality is gaining a reputation as the non-pharmaceutical alternative to calm nerves by reducing – or in some cases, eliminating completely – the need for anti-anxiety medications like Valium.
With patients being virtually removed from the medical environment, they are able to reduce pain, discomfort and anxiety during pre and post-operative periods.
Virtual Reality for Access Patients
As one of the first locations on the Seacoast to offer this service, we will be rolling out this virtual reality first at our Exeter location, with other locations soon following. This technology will be available for patients before and after surgery, as well as for in-office procedures.
If you have any questions about incorporating this new technology into your future appointments, please don’t hesitate to contact your closest Access office.
