%0 Journal Article %@ 2368-7959 %I JMIR Publications %V 4 %N 1 %P e9 %T Virtual Reality for Management of Pain in Hospitalized Patients: Results of a Controlled Trial %A Tashjian,Vartan C %A Mosadeghi,Sasan %A Howard,Amber R %A Lopez,Mayra %A Dupuy,Taylor %A Reid,Mark %A Martinez,Bibiana %A Ahmed,Shahzad %A Dailey,Francis %A Robbins,Karen %A Rosen,Bradley %A Fuller,Garth %A Danovitch,Itai %A IsHak,Waguih %A Spiegel,Brennan %+ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Health Services Research, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles,CA, CA, 90048, United States, 1 310 423 6239, brennan.spiegel@cshs.org %K pain %K virtual reality %K inpatients %K hospitalization %D 2017 %7 29.03.2017 %9 Original Paper %J JMIR Ment Health %G English %X Background: Improvements in software and design and reduction in cost have made virtual reality (VR) a practical tool for immersive, three-dimensional (3D), multisensory experiences that distract patients from painful stimuli. Objective: The objective of the study was to measure the impact of a onetime 3D VR intervention versus a two-dimensional (2D) distraction video for pain in hospitalized patients. Methods: We conducted a comparative cohort study in a large, urban teaching hospital in medical inpatients with an average pain score of ≥3/10 from any cause. Patients with nausea, vomiting, dementia, motion sickness, stroke, seizure, and epilepsy and those placed in isolation were excluded. Patients in the intervention cohort viewed a 3D VR experience designed to reduce pain using the Samsung Gear Oculus VR headset; control patients viewed a high-definition, 2D nature video on a 14-inch bedside screen. Pre- and postintervention pain scores were recorded. Difference-in-difference scores and the proportion achieving a half standard deviation pain response were compared between groups. Results: There were 50 subjects per cohort (N=100). The mean pain reduction in the VR cohort was greater than in controls (−1.3 vs −0.6 points, respectively; P=.008). A total of 35 (65%) patients in the VR cohort achieved a pain response versus 40% of controls (P=.01; number needed to treat=4). No adverse events were reported from VR. Conclusions: Use of VR in hospitalized patients significantly reduces pain versus a control distraction condition. These results indicate that VR is an effective and safe adjunctive therapy for pain management in the acute inpatient setting; future randomized trials should confirm benefit with different visualizations and exposure periods. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02456987; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02456987 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6pJ1P644S) %M 28356241 %R 10.2196/mental.7387 %U http://mental.jmir.org/2017/1/e9/ %U https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.7387 %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28356241