Mind Over Cervix: Using Virtual Reality to Reduce Colposcopy Anxiety

VR as a Distraction Technique for Management of Acute Anxiety and Pain During Outpatient Colposcopy Procedures - a Single Centre Randomised Control Trial

Colposcopy is an extremely important part of womens healthcare in the prevention of cervical cancer. Women report feeling extremely anxious attending colposcopy, due to the association with cancer and the intimate nature of the examination.

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate where the use of virtual reality headsets during outpatient colposcopy appointments has any effect on womens' experience. The main question[s] it aims to answer are:

• Does the use of virtual reality headsets reduce anxiety in patients attending colposcopy
• Does the use of virtual reality headsets reduce pain in patients attending colposcopy

Patients will offered to enroll in the trial when they attend for their colposcopy appointment.

Participants will fill out a questionnaire to measure their anxiety beforehand and collect patient demographics.

They will be randomly allocated into the intervention arm or the control arm. This means they will either use virtual reality headset in addition to the standard care, or have standard colposcopy care only After their colposcopy, they will then be asked to to fill out another questionnaire to measure anxiety and pain levels.

If there is a comparison group: Researchers will compare the results from the women who had colposcopy while using the virtual reality headsets to women to see if there is any meaningful difference in anxiety while using the virtual reality headsets.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients
• women over 18 years of age who attend for outpatient colposcopy and provide informed written consent
• Staff
• Have completed colposcopy training and be a registered member of the British Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (BSCCP)
• Informed written consent to take part in the trial.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients :
• Significant hearing or visual impairments that may effect communication
• Any known characteristics that may make the office procedure more difficult (eg. previous LLETZ, previous cervical conisation, uterine didelphis)
• Inability to provide consent.
• Denial or withdrawal of informed consent orally

Staff :

• The denial or withdrawal of informed consent.
• Trainee colposcopist performing clinic.