VR intervention for anxiety over needle procedures in perinatal women.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative study exploring perinatal womens' experiences of using a Virtual Reality (VR) distraction service during needle procedures at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
IRAS ID
354974
Contact name
Dan Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Reading
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
It is common for people attending hospital for procedures such as blood tests to feel anxious. For perinatal women, this anxiety can be heightened by physical and emotional changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period.
At Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH), the maternity unit has introduced Virtual Reality (VR) headsets as a distraction-based wellbeing tool that some women may choose to use during needle procedures. This offering is part of routine care and not introduced as part of this study.
This research project focuses only on the qualitative evaluation of women’s experiences after having used the VR headsets. The aim is to explore how women felt about the experience, whether they found VR helpful during needle procedures, and how it compared to other ways they have managed anxiety in the past.
Women who have already used the VR headsets as part of their care will be invited to take part in a follow-up interview. These interviews will be semi-structured and conducted either in person or online, depending on the participant’s preference. They will take place approximately one week after the participant’s needle procedure. The interviews will explore the participant’s emotional and physical experiences, their perceptions of the VR tool, and whether it made the procedure feel more manageable.
The findings will be used to better understand how perinatal women experience the use of distraction-based wellbeing tools like VR during clinical procedures.
The study is being carried out by Master’s students from the University of Reading as part of a research placement, in collaboration with the maternity team at the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH).REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SC/0315
Date of REC Opinion
1 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion