The procedural experience
Venipuncture is the collection of blood from a vein. Our research addresses the experience surrounding that procedure: attention, physical interaction and reported pain while the clinical team remains responsible for care.
Why compare two kinds of VR?
Static VR presents a predetermined environment. The studied intervention added sensor-enabled tactile interaction and DQN-based adaptation. This investigates the combined responsive approach, not simply a headset versus no headset.
What was reported
Mean pain was 1.8 ± 1.4 in the adaptive-with-tactile group and 5.0 ± 2.6 in the static group, with reported p < 0.001. These are different groups, not the same children measured before and after treatment.
Six of twenty-five adaptive-group participants reported 0/10 pain. This is an observed study outcome, not a promise of pain-free blood draws for every child.
A starting point for hospital evaluation
A hospital still needs to review its population, standard care, staff training, equipment configuration, hygiene and local requirements. An evaluation should answer agreed questions rather than assume a result in advance.