The leading developer of immersive prescription digital therapeutics, Rocket VR Health, has partnered with Dr. Linda Carlson, Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine to study the impact of virtual reality therapeutics on chronic pain in cancer patients.
The study will evaluate the impact of a virtual reality guided mindfulness (VRGM) intervention program to assist adult cancer patients with chronic cancer-related pain (CRP).
CRP is a prominent condition that significantly impacts the quality of life in patients undergoing cancer treatment. 30 – 50% of patients battle CRP, and this number goes up to 70% in patients with advanced disease. Mindfulness is believed to be effective against chronic CRP by regulating both physical and emotional resistance to pain.
“Our team at Rocket VR believes virtual reality therapies have the potential to change the way cancer care is delivered,” said Sid Desai, CEO and Co-Founder of Rocket VR Health.
The company aims to develop comprehensive, evidence-based digital therapeutics for cancer patients and survivors through research partnerships with leading cancer centers and experts like Dr. Carlson.
The study will involve fifteen cancer survivors enrolled in a six-week, home-based intervention with approximately 15 minutes of daily VRGM practice. Experts will analyze the participants’ psychosocial outcome measures before and after the study, such as pain, depressive and anxiety symptoms, fatigue, sleep, mindfulness, and the overall quality of life.
“Even in the face of something as difficult and life-threatening as cancer, mindfulness can be a tool for personal and collective growth and transformation,” said Dr Linda Carlson, Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine.
The Health Research Ethics Board of Alberta-Cancer Committee has approved the study, which is already underway. It will act as a foundation for more extensive studies that analyze the efficacy of VRGM in improving chronic CRP and treating other symptoms associated with quality of life and morbidity.
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