Schenck Leonardo, Bäumer Christian, Ross Björn, Schäfer Gabriele, Stember Nicole, Thomas Heike, Stieglitz Stefan, Timmermann Beate
West German Proton Therapy Centre Essen (WPE), Essen, Germany.
Department of Computer Science and Applied Cognitive Science, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Front Pediatr. 2023 Jun 20;11:1163022. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1163022. eCollection 2023.
For most patients, cancer therapy with radiation is a new experience coming with many unknown challenges. This can be stressful, particularly for children and adolescents. With the aim of reducing this stress and anxiety, a virtual-reality (VR) game, which can be used by patients prior to treatment, was developed and evaluated in a proton therapy center.
The specifications were derived from literature and from interviews with medical staff and patients. The gantry including the sound of its moving components and the sound of the interlock and safety system were identified as the main features relevant for preparation of a radiation course. Potential implementation difficulties were identified in a literature study and regarded in the design. Within the VR game, patients could interact with modeled equipment of the treatment room and hear the reportedly stress-inducing sounds in a stress-free environment prior to the treatment. The VR game was evaluated in a second series of interviews with patients.
This exploratory study demonstrated the specification, implementation and safe application of a VR game dedicated to young proton therapy patients. Initial anecdotal evidence suggested that the VR gaming experience was well received and found to be helpful when preparing young patients for radiation therapy.
对于大多数患者而言，放射治疗是一种全新的体验，伴随着诸多未知的挑战。这可能会带来压力，对儿童和青少年患者而言尤其如此。为了减轻这种压力和焦虑，在一家质子治疗中心开发并评估了一款虚拟现实（VR）游戏，患者可在治疗前使用该游戏。
规格源自文献以及对医护人员和患者的访谈。治疗床架及其运动部件的声音以及联锁和安全系统的声音被确定为与放射治疗课程准备相关的主要特征。在文献研究中确定了潜在的实施困难，并在设计中予以考虑。在VR游戏中，患者可以在治疗前的无压力环境中与治疗室的模拟设备进行交互，并听到据报道会引发压力的声音。通过对患者进行的第二轮访谈对VR游戏进行了评估。
这项探索性研究展示了一款专为质子治疗年轻患者设计的VR游戏的规格、实施和安全应用。初步的传闻证据表明，VR游戏体验受到好评，并且在让年轻患者为放射治疗做准备时很有帮助。
