Virtual Reality for Patient Preparation Before Cardiac Catheterization in Oman

December 21, 2025 updated by: Sultan Qaboos University

Evaluating the Efficacy of Virtual Reality in Patient Preparation for Cardiac Catheterization Procedures in Oman: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Cardiovascular disease is considered one of the most prevalent diseases in recent times, and cardiac catheterization is widely used to diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease. However, patients often experience significant anxiety before the procedure due to fear of the unknown, potential complications, and concern about discomfort.Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality technology to reduce anxiety and improve patient satisfaction, attitude, and usefulness in individuals undergoing first-time cardiac catheterization procedures in Oman.Method: A mixed-method randomized control trial will be used with approximately 120 patients from different tertiary hospitals in Oman. The experimental group will experience a virtual reality simulation of the catheterization process before providing informed consent, while the control group will receive the standard pre-procedure education. The Arabic version of the DASS-21 scale will be used to assess anxiety level pre- and post-intervention, while patient satisfaction will be measured through qualitative interviews with a subset of 10 participants.Result: ANOVA will be conducted to examine differences in anxiety and satisfaction scores between groups, and Pearson's correlation (r) will assess relationships between anxiety levels and satisfaction scores, while paired t-tests will be applied to compare anxiety levels before and after the intervention within groups. Additionally, multiple regression analysis will be employed to identify predictors of patient satisfaction and anxiety reduction, with a significance level set at p ≤ 0.05 for all statistical tests.Conclusion: The expected outcome of this study is that virtual reality-based education will significantly reduce pre-procedure anxiety and enhance patient satisfaction compared to standard education. Findings from this research may contribute to improving patient-centered care and developing innovative strategies to optimize emotional preparedness before cardiac catheterization procedures.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • • Adult patients (aged 18 years and above)

    • Scheduled for first-time elective cardiac catheterization
    • Able to understand Arabic or English
    • Capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • • Individuals with cognitive impairment or psychiatric conditions that may interfere with their ability to engage in the VR intervention

    • Patients requiring emergency or urgent catheterization

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Virtual Reality Pre-procedure Education
Participants in this group will receive a virtual reality-based educational session prior to their first cardiac catheterization. The VR module will provide a 3D immersive orientation to the catheterization process, including admission, preparation, transfer to the Cath Lab, procedural steps, and post-procedure recovery. The VR experience will last approximately 10-15 minutes and will be delivered once in a quiet setting within the hospital prior to the scheduled procedure. This innovative approach aims to reduce anxiety and enhance understanding of the procedure, ultimately improving patient outcomes. By familiarizing participants with the environment and steps involved, the program seeks to empower them and give them control over their healthcare experience.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality Education
Participants in this group will receive a virtual reality-based educational session prior to their first cardiac catheterization. The VR module provides an immersive 3D orientation to the catheterization process, including admission, preparation, transfer to the Cath Lab, procedural steps, and post-procedure recovery. The VR session lasts approximately 10-15 minutes and is delivered once in a quiet hospital setting before the scheduled procedure. This innovative approach aims to enhance patient understanding and reduce anxiety associated with the catheterization experience. By familiarizing participants with the entire process beforehand, the program seeks to improve overall satisfaction and outcomes.
No Intervention: Standard Pre-procedure Education
Participants in this group will receive the usual standard education provided at the hospital, which includes a verbal explanation by the nurse or physician and a written patient information leaflet describing the procedure, expected preparation, and recovery process. The session will last approximately 10-15 minutes and will be conducted prior to the scheduled procedure. During this time, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any concerns they may have regarding their treatment. This interactive approach aims to enhance understanding and ensure that everyone feels confident and informed before proceeding.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in pre-procedural anxiety (measured by DASS-21 Anxiety Subscale)
Time Frame: Baseline (before intervention) to immediately prior to cardiac catheterization (within 24 hours).
Anxiety will be assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21). The Anxiety subscale includes 7 items, each scored 0-3. Subscale scores are multiplied by 2, giving a final range of 0-42. Higher scores indicate greater anxiety.
Baseline (before intervention) to immediately prior to cardiac catheterization (within 24 hours).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Sultan Qaboos University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 5, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 13, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 21, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 21, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 107/2025

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Coronary Artery Disease

Clinical Trials on Virtual Reality Education

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings