Exploring extended reality to ease pain for kids with cancer

Col Reynolds Fellow, Dr Karin Plummer, is leading a new study investigating how extended reality (XR) technology – like virtual reality – can support pain management children undergoing cancer treatment. 

Titled XR4Kids, the study is currently inviting participation from families, children and young people aged 8–18 years, and healthcare professionals with interest or experience with using extended reality in children’s cancer care. 

Those interested will join a secure online community where they can share their experiences and offer advice on how XR technologies, such as virtual reality headsets, should be used in children’s care. Insights gathered from this online community will help shape how XR technology is integrated into clinical practice for children’s cancer pain management. 

Dr Plummer, a researcher at Griffith University, has received ethics approval for the study, which was made possible through a grant aimed at improving pain management for children with cancer. 

“This project builds on my DECIDE study, which developed a decision aid to help parents and healthcare providers co-create personalised pain management plans for children undergoing bone marrow transplantation.” 

“Technology is advancing rapidly, yet the use of virtual reality in paediatric oncology remains ad hoc. Our recent review found strong evidence that virtual reality can reduce pain and distress. This study will help us understand how best to integrate these technologies into everyday care.”