Leveraging Virtual Reality to Enhance Neonatal Care: Insights from a Study at Leiden University Medical Center

Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are at the forefront of medical science and technology, dealing with the most vulnerable patients: newborn infants. The care provided in these units is critical and complex, often requiring intricate procedures. To continually improve care and outcomes, the NICU at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) conducted a study exploring the use of virtual reality (VR) to identify potential areas of improvement in neonatal procedures.

The Neoflix Study

The study, referred to as the Neoflix study, involved the recording of daily practices, VR meetings, and action research cycles aimed at enhancing neonatal care. The study identified three main components for improvement: enhancing the application of external evidence, learning from individual clinical expertise, and strengthening teamwork. These components were targeted through action research cycles, which were used to implement interventions, observe their effects, and re-evaluate the outcomes. This study was thoroughly reviewed by the Ethics Review Committee of the LUMC.

The Role of Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) played a pivotal role in this study. VR was used to review procedures in the NICU, providing an immersive and close-up view of the procedures. This allowed for a more detailed analysis and identification of potential areas for improvement. A total of 28 NICU staff members were interviewed, and the majority appreciated the use of VR, valuing its role in creating a safe learning environment.

Overarching Themes Identified

Through an extensive review of the recorded VR footage and interviews with the NICU staff, five overarching themes were identified. These themes were the added value of VR, preconditions and considerations for its use, adjustments required, experiences with VR, and how to effectively embed VR into daily practices. The insights gained from these themes provided valuable viewpoints on how to successfully implement VR in the NICU, forming the basis of a roadmap with recommendations.

Reducing Stress and Pain

One of the key findings from this study was the potential benefits of VR in reducing stress and pain for both neonates and medical staff during procedures. The immersive nature of VR was found to be effective in distracting neonates during procedures, thereby reducing their stress and pain. This had a positive impact on the medical staff's experience as well, improving the overall care of neonates in the NICU.

Conclusions and Future Implications

The study concluded that VR could be a valuable tool in improving neonatal care. The findings shed light on the potential of technology to enhance the quality of care, learning environment, and teamwork in the NICU. It's an avenue that merits further research and exploration, with the potential to revolutionize how neonatal care is provided. As technology continues to advance, so too does the potential to improve patient care, particularly for the most vulnerable among us: our newborns.