2024-04-25 | Serious storytelling Designing an VR/AR experience for children to mitigate anxiety and pain of medical procedures (SophiaChildrensHospital)

Many children experience anxiety and pain before or during medical procedures. One such procedure that induces high levels of anxiety in children is venipuncture. Children with chronic conditions have to undergo frequent venipunctures, for instance to collect blood samples. Venipuncture is reported as one of the most distressing parts of medical treatment. Some children even develop needle phobia, which can lead to them avoiding necessary medical procedures. Moreover, higher levels of anxiety lead to a higher levels of perceived pain. Therefore, it is crucial that we develop evidence based tools to effectively manage mitigate anxiety and pain associated with venipuncture.