Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery

Official Title: Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery: A 3-arm Randomised Controlled Trial

Brief Summary: Preoperative anxiety is a common phenomenon in surgical patients, with a pooled global prevalence of 48%. Surgical patients with preoperative anxiety may negatively impact their psychological health and surgical outcomes. Recent studies have revealed the promising effects of virtual reality-enhanced interventions to improve preoperative anxiety symptoms among adults undergoing elective surgery.

There is a lack of interventional studies to compare and evaluate the co-designed preoperative virtual reality-enhanced interventions in adult surgical patients.

This study aims to examine the effects of co-designed virtual reality educational video and virtual reality distraction video on preoperative anxiety symptoms, vital signs, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and postoperative anxiety compared to usual care. This study will contribute by evaluating evidence-based, user-centered VIPA that may be effective for improving preoperative anxiety among adult surgical patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age aged ≥18 years old
• Surgical patients attending Nurse Pre-anaesthetic Assessment Clinic (NPAC)
• American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status ASA I or ASA II
• Able to communicate in Chinese

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who have a cognitive, communication or physical impairment precluding their ability to complete the study
• Patients who are prone to epilepsy or other neurological conditions