VR headsets tested to calm anxious parents at hospital bedside
NCT ID NCT05729347
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 28, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study tested whether using a virtual reality headset showing calming scenery for 20-30 minutes could lower anxiety in parents whose children were in the hospital. 485 parents participated, and their anxiety levels were measured and compared to standard care without any tech-based distraction. The goal was to see if this simple, non-invasive tool could help parents feel less anxious during a stressful time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Virtual Reality headset with calming scenery
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a simple, drug-free way to ease anxiety for parents in stressful hospital settings.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed early-stage study; results may not apply to all parents or settings, and the effect may be small or temporary.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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485 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2023
- Finished
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Oct 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 99 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 18-99 (Parents whose children is hospitalized) * Able to consent * Parents whose child is undergoing various procedures at LPCH and Stanford Hospital and Clinics. Exclusion Criteria: * People who do not consent * Significant Cognitive Impairment * History of Severe Motion Sickness * Current Nausea * Seizures * Visual Problems * Patients whose children are clinically unstable or require urgent/emergent intervention
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Lucile Parkard Children's Hospital
Stanford, California, 94304, United States
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