Abstract

The thought of medical treatments provokes fear and nervousness in many people. The waiting time shortly before procedures can trigger psychological distress, especially for children. Preoperative anxiety also affects the perception of pain during and after procedures, which is why children are often sedated beforehand. However, there are also non-pharmaceutical methods. Hence the aim of this thesis is to develop an interactive VR game to distract children shortly before medical procedures and therefore reduce anxiety and stress during the waiting period. Based on literature research and interviews with medical professionals, pediatric patients and their relatives, a single-player adventure game for the Oculus Quest will be designed and implemented. The focus of the game is to maximize distraction from thoughts of the upcoming procedure and the environment while providing relaxation through positive stimuli. The game will be tested with a focus group to explore feasibility and acceptability and to receive feedback from key stakeholders.