Health Imaging December 10, 2024
The interventional radiology team at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is tapping into virtual reality technology to reduce the need for sedation during procedures.
Phoenix Hunt serves as the hospital’s first embedded VR technologist. Hunt, who studied virtual reality game design at Savannah College of Art and Design, helps support patients during IR procedures by guiding them through procedure-specific VR games designed to ease anxiety and discomfort. In turn, procedures can often be completed in less time and without the use of sedation.
“In most healthcare contexts, VR has been used to support patients as a relaxation tool,” Joseph Miller, MD, Director of Interventional Radiology, said in a news release about the new role. “We’re applying these same types...