Cardiac procedure-related anxiety and pain can adversely affect outcomes and lead to patient dissatisfaction. Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising alternative to traditional therapies for improving patient experience. Our objective is to synthesize evidence and assess the effectiveness of VR in reducing cardiac procedure-related anxiety and pain compared to standard of care. We conducted a comprehensive search across various online databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Sciences, and COCHRANE, to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on VR, cardiac procedures, anxiety, and pain. We utilized a random-effect model to generate effect estimates reported as standardized mean differences (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval. Our review comprised 10 studies with a total of 621 participants (intervention arm: 301, control arm: 320). Overall, among the seven studies evaluating anxiety outcomes, no significant difference in anxiety reduction was observed between the intervention and control groups (standardized mean difference (SMD) -0.62, 95% CI -1.61, 0.37, p=0.22). However, studies using the same anxiety assessment tool demonstrated a significant improvement in the VR arm (SMD -1.01, 95% CI -1.98, -0.04, p=0.04). Conversely, the narrative synthesis of four studies examining pain revealed mixed results. Our findings suggest no significant difference in anxiety reduction between the VR and control groups. Future studies should employ standardized tools for assessing and reporting anxiety and pain to better understand the potential of VR in enhancing patient experience during cardiac procedures.
Keywords: anxiety; cardiac procedures; pain; patient education; virtual reality.
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