VR is possible

Baystate has a commitment to delivering high-quality health care. That commitment compels us to push forward with technology that can benefit healthcare today. Virtual Reality has been accessible for a number of years. The time to implement it is now.

Through utilizing the benefits of a totally immersive world, we can decrease anxiety and optimize comfort in pre-operative patients who are waiting for invasive procedures.

Our Goal

We believe Virtual Reality should be available to any patient who walks through our doors. The technology is simple and portable. The number of patients we can reach with VR is limitless.

The 2 VR Kits available are...

The Cardboard VR can turn a smartphone into a virtual reality experience in 5 minutes. Due to its low cost it can be given free to the patients to take home.

We love the Cardboard VR because it is small and doesn't need to be charged or taken care of. It is as simple as explaining it to your patient and empowering them to use it. This simplicity allows us to bring the cardboard to patients anywhere, as long as they have a smart phone they can use it.

The Cardboard VR has an endless amount of content. Through applications on the app store and on YouTube. It is compatible with YouTube, which allows you to watch videos in 360°. New VR videos are made for YouTube every day, and they can provide relaxing and fun experiences.

If you're interested in using Cardboard VR with patients checkout TechSpringhealth.org/store

Have a look at some Cardboard VR experiences here.

The Baystate Oculus Go VR Kit.

Who can use VR?

Anywhere a patient is waiting for treatment is an opportunity to use VR. For our initial VR project, we have focused on seed implant patients. This is because they have a long wait prior to their procedures in the OR. We will ideally have the VR experience with patients in the pre-administration evaluation.

Patient criteria

There are requirements patients need to meet to be considered a candidate for VR use. You’ll have to develop your own criteria with your medical staff for your organization. Example criteria may include:

Inclusion Criteria

• Ability to read and write English and give informed consent
• No clinical evidence of metastatic disease to the brain

Exclusion Criteria

• Surgery above neck
• Mental health challenges
• Dementia/Alzheimer
• Motion sickness or seizures

Take your patients to the Forest of Serenity

This is one of our favorites for the Oculus Go. Forest of Serenity takes you to a beautiful place where you can leave your pain and troubles behind. Listen to the soothing tones of Sir David Attenborough as he guides you through a forest populated by birds of paradise and exotic flora. The app was developed as a part of a pain management program which strived to help those suffering pain to reduce their reliance on drugs.

Check out it here

Click and drag the video to see the full 360° view!