KU researches virtual goggles

Patients who undergo bone marrow biopsies likely wish they were on a far away island rather than in the procedure room during the biopsy.

Nurses at the University of Kansas Hospital’s bone marrow transplant unit aim to give patients the opportunity to feel like they are in an exotic, relaxing location through virtual goggles.

Transplant coordinator Marcia Jacobson, RN, BSN, OCN, and nurse clinician Jenny Arthur, RN, BSN, conducted research on patients who wore virtual goggles during bone marrow biopsies.

The first phase of their study included 21 patients. All of these patients had undergone a bone marrow biopsy before and could compare their level of pain and stress with and without the virtual goggles.

Patients who wore the goggles chose between a mountain scene, underwater scene and scenes from the “world’s most beautiful places.”

Jacobson and Arthur came up with the idea for the study after they witnessed the pain patients go through during bone marrow biopsies.

“I started thinking maybe we could think of something else to make this more palatable for the patient,” Jacobson said.

During the 15- to 20-minute process, a needle is injected in the patients’ hip. Patients lay on their stomachs during the procedure.

KU nurses have received positive feedback from patients who used the goggles during the first phase of the study.

“We got wonderful, positive feedback with the virtual goggles,” Arthur said. “It gave (patients) a better option than having to get in a strange position to watch the television.”

The Bone Marrow Transplant unit received a $600 grant from the nursing honor society Sigma Theta Tau to fund the research. The grant paid for the goggles, DVD player, DVDs and statisticians to analyze the research.

“We’ve had a whole range of ages who’ve done this,” Arthur said. “It’s definitely able to appeal to a lot of people.”

Jacobson and Arthur plan to include 100 bone marrow patients in the second phase of their research.

“We hope to be able to share our data with the Oncology Nursing Society Journal,” Jacobson said. “(Virtual goggles) are something nurses can do without a doctor’s order.”

Jacobson said she hopes to get the study published in a nursing journal by late 2010 and wants to present the research at the Oncology Nursing Society Congress in 2011.

Jacobson worked as a research nurse for a bone marrow project at St. Luke’s Hospital before she joined the team at KU Hospital. Jacobson said she enjoyed using her research experience to lead this project.

“(This project) was a little more personal because it was our idea,” Jacobson said.

Jacobson said she hopes to use the research data to secure funds to expand the virtual goggles program at KU.

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