4 Practical Technologies Helping Patients Get Through Medical Procedures

At some point in our lives, we’ve all been a patient; and the journey to recovery is not always the most pleasant or comfortable. Most of us can probably relate to, or at least sympathise with, the anxiety of having to undergo a surgical procedure or the prospect of extended hospital stays. 

To address such concerns, researchers have been investigating the assistance of technology to ease the patient journey. This piqued our interest to investigate further and, in this article, we collected some of the most promising digital health approaches for such ends.

1. Tuning down discomfort during surgeries with noise-cancelling headphones

You might already own noise-cancelling headphones but they might have uses other than entertainment. When used by patients undergoing surgeries, such headphones can have beneficial effects.

Even if patients are under general anaesthesia during surgeries, their auditory cortex is still active; meaning they can still register sound. Ambient noise pollution in surgical rooms can influence patients’ stress level. With noise-cancelling headphones, studies have shown improved physiological parameters. In some cases, the equipment even reduced postoperative opioid consumption; indicating a reduction in postoperative pain.

Even in surgeries not involving anaesthesia, noise-cancelling headphones were found to be beneficial. Patients wearing them and listening to music were found to have significantly less intraoperative anxiety.

2. Virtual reality in the intensive care unit

Virtual reality (VR) is a promising technology that has been adopted in various aspects of healthcare. However, one use case that has often been overlooked is VR’s use in the intensive care unit (ICU). The technology can “teleport” patients into relaxing environments to help their recovery.

For example, at UF Health Shands Hospital in Florida, VR headsets and noise-cancelling headphones have been used to virtually transport ICU patients to remote beaches and hillsides. Once in the virtual, peaceful location, the patients undergo guided meditation to relax and relieve themselves of stress.

Some ICU patients, admitted after medically-induced coma, can suffer from post intensive care syndrome as they regain consciousness in an unfamiliar environment. This relatively under-researched side effect can affect up to 60% of ex-ICU patients. Their complaints include anxiety, recurring nightmares, fatigue and cognitive problems. 

To tackle this issue, researchers in The Netherlands have employed VR technology. With the help of VR headsets, virtual medical staff walk patients through their current environment and how things work in an ICU. This can ease the process of patients waking up in ICU wards and reduce the associated anxiety.

3. Video games to play through recovery

Video games or video game concepts have found a home in healthcare. The concept of gamification has been adopted by health trackers to motivate users in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Cooperative games have been shown to aid healthcare professionals in relieving stress and promoting teamwork 

For paediatric patients, Hopelab has developed games aimed at improving cancer treatment adherence and self-efficacy. Their freely available games mirror real-world chemotherapeutic strategies to help inform patients about the treatments and their functioning. Studies have further shown improved behavioural outcomes with video game intervention among younger cancer patients.

Video games can be beneficial for older patients too. Researchers from Ohio State College of Medicine have devised a video game-based approach to reduce postoperative delirium. The latter refers to the onset of confusion following major surgery that involved anaesthesia. 

In a randomised controlled trial for their approach, the researchers had patients over 60 play a game on a tablet for one hour per day before undertaking a scheduled major surgery. The game was designed to stimulate their memory, speed, attention, flexibility and problem solving abilities. Those who gamed regularly were found to have their risk of postoperative delirium reduced by over 60%.

4. Virtual scenes to facilitate paediatric procedures 

Iatrophobia is the technical term for the fear of doctors or medical procedures. It is especially common among children aged between 6 months and 4-years-old. In addition to being an unpleasant experience to the child and parent, it can make paediatric procedures such as collecting blood or administering vaccinations challenging.

One way to address this is to relax and distract patients. Digital health company PilloVR has taken the technological route for this endeavour with the help of VR technology. Their solution involves providing paediatric patients VR headsets to view bespoke, immersive content. In the form of animated adventures, children can overcome their fear of doctors while also viewing educational content.

“When we introduced PilloVR, it was like a game-changer for [paediatric nurses],” Sergey Shayakhmetov, CEO of PilloVR, told The Medical Futurist in an interview. “The kids became calmer and more cooperative, which made the nurses' jobs so much easier.”

Shayakhmetov even believes that VR is going to become a standard part of paediatric healthcare in the next decade. “It won't just be used for distraction during procedures,” he added. “I think we'll see it applied in areas like patient education, physical therapy, and even mental health support. VR has the potential to make healthcare experiences more interactive and less intimidating for kids.”

These examples showcase the potential of digital health technologies to improve the patient experience. They can help patients undergo medical procedures with less pain and less reliance on drugs, while they get better faster. 

We also expect such options to become more commonplace as we progress through the digital health era; and more examples might even arise. If you have any anecdotes or promising technologies to share, be sure to let us know about them!