PET/CT VR Tour (HR)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Feasibility study on the acceptability of a Virtual Reality Tour for patients referred for their first PET-CT scan
IRAS ID
318986
Contact name
Michael Barnard
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 30 days
Research summary
Every year a small percentage of patients that are referred for a PET/CT are unable to complete the procedure due to procedure related anxiety. Increasing work is being completed in the area of anxiety in PET/CT and this study hope to provide a possible tool in improving the patient experience. As PET/CT involves the use of a radioactive tracer, patients that have the injection but then fail to finish the scan due to anxiety will receive the radiation detriment for no benefit. The project proposed will investigate whether a virtual tour constructed from 360 videos of the PET suite, and procedures that the patient would undergo (Virtual Reality (VR) intervention), displayed on a VR Headset, could be used to improve patient experience. The VR tour is very much like the virtual tours that estate agents use to showcase properties. Anxiety will be measured using heart rate as the main measure but an optional inhouse designed anxiety questionnaire before and once again after the
intervention will be completed. The second measure will be taken 10 minutes before the patients actual PET/CT scan. This is a pilot study;
therefore, the primary aim is to assess the acceptability and feasibility of the VR tour. The secondary optional anxiety measure may be used to inform and appropriately power a larger trial and provide additional information to existing knowledge in literature.REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0050
Date of REC Opinion
9 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion