Author: Karin Tanja-Dijkstra1, Sabine Pahl , Mathew P. White, Jackie Andrade, Cheng Qian, Malcolm Bruce, Jon May, David R. Moles

Published By: School of Psychology Plymouth University 

Published: 2014

Dental anxiety creates significant problems for both patients and the dental profession. Some distraction interventions are

already used by healthcare professionals to help patients cope with unpleasant procedures. The present study is novel

because it a) builds on evidence that natural scenery is beneficial for patients, and b) uses a Virtual Reality (VR)

representation of nature to distract participants. Extending previous work that has investigated pain and anxiety during

treatment, c) we also consider the longer term effects in terms of more positive memories of the treatment, building on a

cognitive theory of memory (Elaborated Intrusions). Participants (n = 69) took part in a simulated dental experience and

were randomly assigned to one of three VR conditions (active vs. passive vs. control). In addition, participants were

distinguished into high and low dentally anxious according to a median split resulting in a 362 between-subjects design. VR

distraction in a simulated dental context affected memories a week later. The VR distraction had effects not only on

concurrent experiences, such as perceived control, but longitudinally upon the vividness of memories after the dental

experience had ended. Participants with higher dental anxiety (for whom the dental procedures were presumably more

aversive) showed a greater reduction in memory vividness than lower dental-anxiety participants. This study thus suggests

that VR distractions can be considered as a relevant intervention for cycles of care in which people’s previous experiences

affect their behaviour for future events.

Category: Case Studies Research Virtual Environments

Added by Ash-Lee Hall · 8 years ago

Author: Jeannine Harrington

Published By: CCSATC

Published On: 8 September 2015

Contributed by Jeannine Harrington - Expert Reference Group Member

The importance of implementing a testing procedure before introducing smart assistive technology into a consumers home was highlighted by the experience of a case manager introducing an automated medication dispenser for use by consumer in early stages of dementia.

Family members had been very proactive in researching a tool to assist with medication management for their mother.  The case manager contacted the distributor and a dispenser was dispatched.  However, finding a Pharmacist familiar with the technology was a bit of a challenge.  The first approach to a pharmacist who had assured the case manager they knew how to load the dispenser resulted in a broken lock and the timing wrong resulting in all compartments opening at once.

By trailing in the office before placing in the home the malfunction was identified and an opportunity to remedy reducing the risk to the consumer.

Category: Case Studies Medication Management

Added by Elizabeth Dodd · 8 years ago