Effects of Virtual Reality and Tablet Distraction During IV Cannulation in Children

July 28, 2026 updated by: Deniz Akkaya Balcı, Aydin Adnan Menderes University

The Effect of Watching an Entertaining Video With Virtual Reality Glasses and a Tablet on Pain, Anxiety, and Fear During Intravenous Cannulation in Children in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of virtual reality and tablet-based audiovisual distraction on pain, anxiety, and fear in children undergoing intravenous cannulation in a pediatric emergency department. Children aged 7 to 12 years were randomly assigned to three groups: virtual reality, tablet, and control. During intravenous cannulation, children in the virtual reality group watched an entertaining video using a virtual reality headset, while children in the tablet group watched the same video on a tablet. Children in the control group received routine care without an audiovisual distraction intervention. Pain, anxiety, and fear were assessed using age-appropriate validated scales. The study compared the effects of the two distraction methods with routine care and with each other.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial involving children aged 7 to 12 years who required intravenous cannulation in a pediatric emergency department. Eligible participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to a virtual reality group, a tablet group, or a control group.

Children assigned to the virtual reality group watched an entertaining audiovisual video using a virtual reality headset during intravenous cannulation. Children assigned to the tablet group watched the same video on a tablet during the procedure. Children in the control group underwent intravenous cannulation according to the routine clinical practice of the emergency department without an audiovisual distraction intervention.

Anxiety and fear were assessed immediately before intravenous cannulation and again five minutes after the procedure. Pain was assessed immediately after intravenous cannulation. The primary purpose of the study was to determine whether virtual reality and tablet-based distraction reduced procedure-related pain, anxiety, and fear and to compare the effectiveness of these interventions.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

132

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Kütahya
      • Kütahya, Kütahya, Turkey (Türkiye), 4300
        • Kütahya Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • It was that the child belonged to the 7-12 age group and was fully conscious.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children with hearing, cognitive, or visual impairments; children unaccompanied by a parent; children with whom communication cannot be established; and children with critical health issues and/or conditions requiring immediate intervention.

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: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Virtual Reality Group
Children watched an age-appropriate entertaining video using a virtual reality headset during intravenous cannulation.
Behavioral: Virtual Reality Distraction
Children in the virtual reality group received virtual reality-based distraction during intravenous cannulation. A virtual reality headset was used to divert the child's attention from the procedure.
Experimental: tablet Group
Children watched the same age-appropriate entertaining video on a tablet during intravenous cannulation.
Behavioral: Tablet Distraction
Children in the tablet group watched an age-appropriate cartoon on a tablet during intravenous cannulation to divert their attention from the procedure.
No Intervention: control group
Children underwent intravenous cannulation according to routine clinical practice without any audiovisual distraction intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain During Intravenous Cannulation
Time Frame: Immediately after intravenous cannulation
Pain intensity was assessed using the Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale. The scale consists of six facial expressions representing increasing levels of pain. Scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity. Pain was assessed immediately after intravenous cannulation.
Immediately after intravenous cannulation

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Anxiety Before and After Intravenous Cannulation
Time Frame: Immediately before and immediately after intravenous cannulation
Anxety was assesed using the scale .Higher scores indicate greater anxiety.
Immediately before and immediately after intravenous cannulation

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Aydin Adnan Menderes 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 (Actual)

April 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

August 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 28, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 28, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 31, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 31, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 28, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2021/284

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.

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