Study of gender differences in VR response following cardiac surgery

Cardiac and other invasive surgical procedures cause significant anxiety and stress to patients and their family members. In this study Virtual Reality (VR) was used as a method to reduce stress, anxiety and pain in patients undergoing surgical procedures. This study compared a cohort of patients in the interval prior to and successive to the surgery, differentiating the responses achieved by males and females and comparing the effectiveness. The results are encouraging: they demonstrate the efficacy of VR treatment and the safety of the method and detection of differences in the responses based on gender

Exploration, design and application of simulation based technology in interventional cardiology

Medical education is undergoing a vast change from the traditional apprenticeship model to technology driven delivery of training to meet the demands of the new generation of doctors. With the reduction in the training hours of junior doctors, technology driven education can compensate for the time deficit in training. Each new technology arrives on a wave of great expectations; sometimes our expectations of true change are met and sometimes the new technology remains as a passing fashion only. The aim of the thesis is to explore, design and apply simulation based applications in interventional cardiology for educating the doctors and the public. Chapters 1and 2 present an overview of the current practice of education delivery and the evidence concerning simulation based education in interventional cardiology. Introduction of any new technology into an established system is often met with resistance. Hence Chapters 3 and 4 explore the attitudes and perceptions of consultants and trainees in cardiology towards the integration of a simulation based education into the cardiology curriculum. Chapters 5 and 6 present the “i-health project,” introduction of an electronic form for clinical information transfer from the ambulance crew to the hospital, enactment of case scenarios of myocardial infarction of varied levels of difficulty in a simulated environment and preliminary evaluation of the simulation. Chapter 7 focuses on educating the public in cardiovascular diseases and in coronary interventional procedures through simulation technology. Finally, Chapter 8 presents an overview of my findings, limitations and the future research that needs to be conducted which will enable the successful adoption of simulation based education into the cardiology curriculum.Open Acces

The Effect of Hypnotherapy on Pain Intensity in Postoperative Patients: A Systematic Review

Background: Pain is a common problem in patients undergoing surgery. The constant postoperative acute pain can affect the physiological and psychological aspects of the patient.Objective: Non-pharmacological therapy is widely used for the treatment of chronic pain. Non-pharmacological therapy needs to be developed in acute postoperative pain due to concerns about the side effects of pharmacological treatment. There is non-pharmacological management that effectively reduces pain intensity, namely hypnotherapy.Methods: The systematic search for this review used the Google Scholar database, Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ), ProQuest, and PubMed using keywords (Hypnosis OR Hypnotism OR Hypnoanalysis OR Hypnotherapy OR Hypnotherapies OR Mesmerism) AND (Post-surgical Pain OR Post surgical Pain OR Postsurgical Pain OR Post-operative Pain OR Post operative Pain OR Post-operative Pains OR Postoperative Pain OR Acute Postoperative Pain OR Acute Post-operative Pain OR Acute Post operative Pain). The quality of journals was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) instrument. The synthesis method used was narrative synthesis (narrative synthesis).Results: 10 articles were fully reviewed from 2010-2020. The visualization technique with rapid conversational induction has the best effect than other techniques. The most effective way of conveying suggestions is indirect with a permissive approach. The study results showed that hypnotherapy tended to reduce postoperative pain in minor surgical procedures than in major surgeries.Conclusion: Hypnotherapy affects reducing the pain intensity of postoperative patients. The results of this study recommend that hypnotherapy suggestions and pain measures must be tailored to the patient's condition