From 2018: The VR Vaccine project involves children wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset and watching a 3D animated immersive adventure where the children become a hero about to receive a powerful shield. “The nurse can see the story on a separate screen and the action is synchronized with action of cleansing the skin and applying the injection.
The project was launched by pharmacy chain Hermes Pardini to help with their vaccination campaigns. Design studios VZLAB and Lobo created the content.
“What we learned from doing this project is that children mostly fear the needle, more than the pain itself,” says Luiz Evandro, director at VZLAB and Lobo. “So, in theory, if one could take ‘the approaching needle away’, the fear itself would also disappear.”
The results of the VR Vaccine project have been so positive that Hermes Pardini has installed the headsets in all 80 of its pharmacies.
Mr Evandro believes VR has the potential to help with a range of other medical scenarios to relieve patients’ stress… “This solution has a lot to grow in terms of development, not only by incorporating interactivity into it, but also by having the possibility of being customizable to specific users,” says Mr Evandro. “We feel that we’ve only scratched the surface of what’s doable here.”
Read the full article at the BBC.