Preoperative AnxietyVIPANCT07379450
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery
A study testing Virtual Reality in people with Preoperative Anxiety, run by Sin Lun CHAN at 1 site in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
Brief Summary: Preoperative anxiety is a common phenomenon in surgical patients, with a pooled global prevalence of 48%. Surgical patients with preoperative anxiety may negatively impact their psychological health and surgical outcomes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Preoperative Anxiety
- What is being tested?
- Virtual Reality
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 270 participants
- Where
- 1 siteHong Kong
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2026to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age aged ≥18 years old
- Surgical patients attending Nurse Pre-anaesthetic Assessment Clinic (NPAC)
- American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status ASA I or ASA II
- Able to communicate in Chinese
Who cannot join
- Patients who have a cognitive, communication or physical impairment precluding their ability to complete the study
- Patients who are prone to epilepsy or other neurological conditions
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Hong Kong1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Kwong Wah Hospital
Kowloon
Sin Lun CHAN, +852-44347185, darrenchan@link.cuhk.edu.hk
About this study
Official title: Official Title: Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery: A 3-arm Randomised Controlled Trial
Brief Summary: Preoperative anxiety is a common phenomenon in surgical patients, with a pooled global prevalence of 48%. Surgical patients with preoperative anxiety may negatively impact their psychological health and surgical outcomes. Recent studies have revealed the promising effects of virtual reality-enhanced interventions to improve preoperative anxiety symptoms among adults undergoing elective surgery.
There is a lack of interventional studies to compare and evaluate the co-designed preoperative virtual reality-enhanced interventions in adult surgical patients.
This study aims to examine the effects of co-designed virtual reality educational video and virtual reality distraction video on preoperative anxiety symptoms, vital signs, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and postoperative anxiety compared to usual care. This study will contribute by evaluating evidence-based, user-centered VIPA that may be effective for improving preoperative anxiety among adult surgical patients.
- Conditions
- Preoperative Anxiety
- Being tested
- Virtual Reality
- Keywords
- Preoperative Anxiety, Virtual Reality
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Virtual RealityOther
The Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety for adults undergoing elective surgery (VIPA) was developed based on theoretical basis, systematic review evidence, and qualitative study.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality Group 1 (Education approach) | Experimental | Participants in Virtual Reality Group 1 (Education approach) will receive a co-designed virtual reality educational 6-minute video via VR headset. The virtual reality educational video includes three main scenes, consisting of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative content located at operating theatre reception, operating theatre, and post-anaesthetic care unit respectively. Receives: Other: Virtual Reality |
| Virtual Reality Group 2 (Distraction approach) | Experimental | Participants in Virtual Reality Group 2 (Distraction approach) will receive a virtual reality distraction 6-minute video via VR headset. The virtual reality distraction video includes immersive natural scenes with concurrent music, without educational component. Receives: Other: Virtual Reality |
| Control Group | No intervention | Participants in control group will receive usual care only. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Preoperative anxiety
Preoperative anxiety will be measured using the Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Du et al., 2022). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety. The Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory demonstrates good psychometric properties.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Secondary outcomes (6)
Heart rate
Heart rate will be measured in beats per minute (bpm) using physiological monitors to provide a more objective measurement for anxiety.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Blood pressure
Blood pressure will be measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) using physiological monitors to provide a more objective measurement for anxiety.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Temperature
Temperature will be measured in degrees Celsius (°C) using tympanic thermometers to provide a more objective measurement for anxiety.
Measured: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Life satisfaction
Life satisfaction will be measured using the Chinese version of Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener et al., 1985). Items are rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating higher life satisfaction. The Chinese version of Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) demonstrates good psychometric properties (Wu \& Yao, 2006).
Measured: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery, Post-operative day 7
Evaluation of Virtual reality-enhanced interventions questionnaire
Virtual reality-enhanced interventions questionnaire was developed to evaluate virtual reality-enhanced interventions in terms of programme content, content adequacy, content usefulness, willingness to recommend others, satisfaction, and improvement suggestions. The questions are either 4-point Likert scale or open-end questions. The score ranges from 1 to 4, higher scores indicate higher satisfcation and higher agreement.
Measured: Immediate post-intervention
Postoperative anxiety
Postoperative anxiety will be measured using the Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Du et al., 2022). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety. The Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory demonstrates good psychometric properties.
Measured: Post-operative day 7
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Jan 2026
- Study start1 Feb 2026
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Preoperative AnxietyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 270 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sin Lun CHAN
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Sin Lun CHAN, Chinese University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07379450
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CIRB-2025-224-5
- Acronym
- VIPA
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 21 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 27 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Official Title: Effectiveness of Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety in Adults Undergoing Elective Surgery: A 3-arm Randomised Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07379450
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VIPA / CIRB-2025-224-5
- Conditions
- Preoperative Anxiety
- Keywords
- Preoperative Anxiety, Virtual Reality
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 270 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Sin Lun CHANUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 30 Jan 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Brief Summary: Preoperative anxiety is a common phenomenon in surgical patients, with a pooled global prevalence of 48%. Surgical patients with preoperative anxiety may negatively impact their psychological health and surgical outcomes. Recent studies have revealed the promising effects of virtual reality-enhanced interventions to improve preoperative anxiety symptoms among adults undergoing elective surgery.
There is a lack of interventional studies to compare and evaluate the co-designed preoperative virtual reality-enhanced interventions in adult surgical patients.
This study aims to examine the effects of co-designed virtual reality educational video and virtual reality distraction video on preoperative anxiety symptoms, vital signs, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and postoperative anxiety compared to usual care. This study will contribute by evaluating evidence-based, user-centered VIPA that may be effective for improving preoperative anxiety among adult surgical patients.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Reality Group 1 (Education approach) | Experimental | Other: Virtual RealityParticipants in Virtual Reality Group 1 (Education approach) will receive a co-designed virtual reality educational 6-minute video via VR headset. The virtual reality educational video includes three main scenes, consisting of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative content located at operating theatre reception, operating theatre, and post-anaesthetic care unit respectively. |
| Virtual Reality Group 2 (Distraction approach) | Experimental | Other: Virtual RealityParticipants in Virtual Reality Group 2 (Distraction approach) will receive a virtual reality distraction 6-minute video via VR headset. The virtual reality distraction video includes immersive natural scenes with concurrent music, without educational component. |
| Control Group | No intervention | –Participants in control group will receive usual care only. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Age aged ≥18 years old
- Surgical patients attending Nurse Pre-anaesthetic Assessment Clinic (NPAC)
- American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) physical status ASA I or ASA II
- Able to communicate in Chinese
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Patients who have a cognitive, communication or physical impairment precluding their ability to complete the study
- Patients who are prone to epilepsy or other neurological conditions
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual RealityThe Virtual Reality-enhanced Interventions on Preoperative Anxiety for adults undergoing elective surgery (VIPA) was developed based on theoretical basis, systematic review evidence, and qualitative study. | Other | Virtual Reality Group 1 (Education approach), Virtual Reality Group 2 (Distraction approach) |
Primary outcome
Preoperative anxiety
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Preoperative anxiety will be measured using the Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Du et al., 2022). Items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating higher anxiety. The Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory demonstrates good psychometric properties.
6 secondary outcomes
Heart rate
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Blood pressure
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Temperature
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery
Life satisfaction
Time frame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery, Post-operative day 7
Evaluation of Virtual reality-enhanced interventions questionnaire
Time frame: Immediate post-intervention
Postoperative anxiety
Time frame: Post-operative day 7
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Virtual Reality in people with Preoperative Anxiety, run by Sin Lun CHAN at 1 site in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Sin Lun CHAN (+852-44347185, darrenchan@link.cuhk.edu.hk), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Preoperative anxiety (time frame: Baseline, Immediate post-intervention, Day of surgery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 27 May 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.