Use of Virtual Reality in Pain Management in Hospitalized Patients

Acute and chronic non-cancer pain is a common healthcare problem locally and globally, leading to many inpatient admissions for poorly controlled pain. The World Health Organisation has declared that access to adequate pain control is a fundamental human right. Yet in our current practice, both acute and chronic non-cancer pain remain poorly controlled. There is passive over-reliance on pharmacological agents and interventional procedures in the management of pain. The opioid epidemic with issues of dependence, misuse, and overdose is especially concerning. Therefore, there is a pertinent clinical need to find sustainable non-pharmacological adjuncts in the complex management of pain. Virtual reality (VR) involves the use of technology to create a three-dimensional multisensory artificial environment replacing real-world sensory inputs. Initially created solely for entertainment purposes, VR applications have since expanded and made its way into healthcare. In Pain Medicine, the application of VR has been promising. There is currently no VR study done in our local population who suffer from pain issues. In our study, we aim to test the feasibility of applying the use of VR in patients admitted inpatient due to pain issues. We believe that VR can be used as an adjunctive tool improve pain management and patient satisfaction.