The Department of Pediatrics at the Clinical Center of the University of Debrecen is one of Hungary’s largest pediatric care centers. From year to year, it treats approximately 17,000 children as inpatients and more than 95,000 children visit its outpatient clinics. Staff members at the clinic has always placed great emphasis on reducing children’s pain and anxiety during examinations and treatments. A new VR-based pain management method, made possible with support from One Foundation, is meant to provide additional assistance in this effort.
- Our institution continues to seek for innovative ways to improve the quality of care in order to make children’s hospital experiences more humane and bearable. The reason for this is that this special environment frequently causes anxiety. The sight of white coats, masks or even medical instruments can trigger fear. This kind of stress can not only make it harder for the children to cooperate but it can also cause increased anxiety in their parents. That is exactly why we are open to any new technology or method that has been proven to help reduce anxiety and make care run more smoothly- said Tamás Szabó, Associate Professor and Director of the Department of Pediatrics at the Clinical Center of the University of Debrecen.
Apart from the four pairs of VR glasses, the specialists in Debrecen will also receive methodological background guidance, educational materials and the possibility of ongoing professional consultation. This innovative, medication-free, distraction-based program has been built on a software platform designed specifically for medical purposes at Stanford University. The software package was developed to be not only entertaining but also captivating and therapeutically soothing. For example, during the medical interventions, children can fly over animals and magical landscapes in the peaceful world of DreamFlight, but they can also choose to participate in the space adventure of Spaceburgers.
- This program clearly demonstrates that technology is really valuable when it brings real relief in human situations. By using virtual reality, we transform childhood fears into a sense of security. In the meanwhile, and building on these experiences, we provide doctors across our country with an effective tool that extends healing care- said Emőke Flakstad, Executive Director of One Foundation. The recently developed methodology has been successfully integrated into everyday routines in common, anxiety-inducing situations such as phlebotomy, physical therapy and a variety of surgical interventions.
- Traditionally, pediatrics takes a holistic approach to children’s care. This means that it takes into consideration not only physical health but also psychological, social and spiritual aspects. A part of this approach involves the prevention and management of anxiety and pain related to medical care, for which VR headsets that run apps specifically developed for this purpose serve as effective tools. The virtual reality experience helps divert children’s attention away from unpleasant stimuli, allowing them to become calmer and more cooperative, while the use of these headsets can also lead to a more positive overall hospital experience- said Tamás Kovács, clinical chief physician at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Debrecen Clinical Center and the project’s technical director.
This initiative fits well into the ongoing development and child-friendly approach followed at the clinic. The Pediatric Emergency Center, which inaugurated in 2024, has created a more modern environment for emergency, trauma and pediatric surgical care. This is now complemented by the program using VR technology for pain management. VR goggles can provide effective assistance not only during procedures involving pain but also during any examination that is unusual, unfamiliar or anxiety-inducing for children.
- A simple ear examination, like, for example, checking the external auditory canal or the eardrum, can easily cause fear in young patients, as medical instruments and the examination setting alone can make them feel uneasy. Recently, there was an ECG test posing a serious challenge for a young girl but, with the help of VR goggles, she was able to immerse herself in a playful, fairy-tale world with a complete peace of mind, while the test proceeded smoothly, causing no fear or anxiety. Experiences like this can clearly demonstrate the significant potential inherent in this tool- said Éva Juhász, the professional coordinator at the Pediatric Emergency Center of the Department of Pediatrics at UD’s Clinical Center.
The use of VR headsets is going to be gradually introduced at the pediatric clinic. They are currently being tested in the emergency department, while the primary area of their use later, according to plans, will be the hematology department, where a lot of children return regularly for multiple treatments.
Press Center - CzA