People who must undergo biopsies, or some types of CT or MRI
scans, may find this medical treatment nerve-racking. Aside from the discomfort
of being poked and prodded, there’s the stress of being diagnosed or treated
for a serious disease.
But video glasses, like Google
Glass, can help calm these patients down, according to a new study.
People in the study were
undergoing tests for serious problems, and it’s standard for doctors to give
such patients a strong sedative or relaxant, said study researcher Dr. David
Waldman, professor and chair of the department of imaging sciences at the University
of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y.
The study focused on what’s known
as interventional radiology – using CT, ultrasound or MRI technology to
guide inserting devices into the body, such as balloons to expand blood
vessels, or catheters to break up dangerous blood clots. “We’re putting needles
in people,” Waldman said. “The pain, not really knowing what’s coming next, the
anxiety level is much greater than ordinary CT or MRI.”
In recent years, physicians have
explored using fewer drugs when calming patients, since these
medicines, being one more factor to track, can complicate treatment.
The study divided 50 patients
into two groups; half the patients received a pair of glasses that could show
videos, while the other half got no glasses. As the procedures began, the first
group was allowed to choose a video they might want to watch during the
testing.
"We had National Geographic
types of clips, stuff like ‘March of the Penguins’ — that one was popular — and
Disney movies," Waldman said.
The researchers then asked the
patients to fill out a 20-question survey that rated how anxious or stressed
they felt, using a scoring system of 1 to 4 on each question. Patients took the
anxiety test both before and after their treatments.
Patients who had received the
glasses showed lower anxiety scores
after the treatment than before the procedure. Specifically, their scores were
18 percent lower after the treatment. Meanwhile, those who didn’t get glasses
were only 5.5 percent less anxious after the procedure, compared with how they
felt before the procedure began.
The glasses didn’t interfere with
the work the doctor had to do, the researchers said.
While the results are promising,
the study needs to be repeated in larger groups of patients, the researchers
said. And it remains unclear how effective the video glasses may be for
patients undergoing different procedures. For example, some people in the study
received injections into the neck, which many people find to be more stressful
than other procedures.
Waldman noted the available
videos included no violent films or mysteries, so those who relax with
Alfred Hitchcock might not be as satisfied with the results. A lot of people
requested sitcoms, Waldman added (they didn’t have them).
The researchers will next study
500 patients at three hospitals. That’s a large enough study population,
Waldman says, to tease out which treatments produce more patient fear, and
which patients the glasses may help most.
