The use of gamification in healthcare has been gaining popularity. This prospective,\nrandomized, clinical trial was designed to evaluate whether gamification of the preoperative\nprocessâ??via virtual reality (VR) gaming that provides a vivid, immersive and realistic\nexperienceâ??could reduce preoperative anxiety in children. Seventy children scheduled for elective\nsurgery under general anesthesia were randomly divided into either the control or gamification group.\nChildren in the control group received conventional education regarding the preoperative process,\nwhereas those in the gamification group played a 5 min VR game experiencing the preoperative\nexperience. Preoperative anxiety, induction compliance checklist (ICC), and procedural behavior\nrating scale (PBRS) were measured. Sixty-nine children were included in the final analysis (control group = 35, gamificati Preoperative anxiety (28.3 [23.3â??36.7] vs. 46.7 [31.7â??51.7]; p < 0.001)\nand intraoperative compliance measured using ICC (p = 0.038) were lower in the gamification group\nthan in the control group. However, PBRS (p = 0.092) and parent/guardian satisfaction (p = 0.268)\nwere comparable between the two groups. VR experience of the preoperative process could reduce\npreoperative anxiety and improve compliance during anesthetic induction in children undergoing\nelective surgery and general anesthesia.
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