If you’re scared of needles, whether you’re giving blood or getting a shot, you are not alone.Doctors say that fear often begins when you’re a little kid and carries on as you get older.One Central Florida doctor hopes to change that by using new technology to help children get over their fears.For most children across Central Florida, getting a shot is their least favorite thing to do. It takes a lot of positive reinforcement to ease the worries and fears. Imagine if kids didn’t have to be scared of needles. That’s the case if you’re a patient at Doc Pam’s Children’s Clinic in Winter Park. Dr. Pamela Trout is one of the first to use a new virtual reality headset on some of her youngest patients. “You can pick whether it’s a blood draw, a shot, or port access in all these kids going through tons of procedures. Maybe they have chronic illness. This would make their day,” Trout said. Children put the goggles on and they watch a movie — an underwater adventure that is synchronized to the procedure. It keeps them focused on something — something besides the procedure. “If they’re going to get a shot, then maybe there may be fish swimming up and nibbling on their arm, and with the virtual reality, you can actually look around and see that,” Trout said. “The parents love it. Their eyes just light up when they see that their kid didn’t even flinch,” Trout said. While Trout may be one of the first to use this virtual reality headset, she doesn’t want to be the last.She shared a message for the other medical professionals. “I want everyone in Orlando to know, hey, you should have this. The hospitals should have it, you know. Other pediatric offices should have it,” Trout said. Smileyscope is the company behind this.So far, they’ve partnered with more than 40 hospitals across the nation to implement the virtual reality technology.
If you’re scared of needles, whether you’re giving blood or getting a shot, you are not alone.
Doctors say that fear often begins when you’re a little kid and carries on as you get older.
One Central Florida doctor hopes to change that by using new technology to help children get over their fears.
For most children across Central Florida, getting a shot is their least favorite thing to do.
It takes a lot of positive reinforcement to ease the worries and fears.
Imagine if kids didn’t have to be scared of needles.
That’s the case if you’re a patient at Doc Pam’s Children’s Clinic in Winter Park.
Dr. Pamela Trout is one of the first to use a new virtual reality headset on some of her youngest patients.
“You can pick whether it’s a blood draw, a shot, or port access in all these kids going through tons of procedures. Maybe they have chronic illness. This would make their day,” Trout said.
Children put the goggles on and they watch a movie — an underwater adventure that is synchronized to the procedure.
It keeps them focused on something — something besides the procedure.
“If they’re going to get a shot, then maybe there may be fish swimming up and nibbling on their arm, and with the virtual reality, you can actually look around and see that,” Trout said.
“The parents love it. Their eyes just light up when they see that their kid didn’t even flinch,” Trout said.
While Trout may be one of the first to use this virtual reality headset, she doesn’t want to be the last.
She shared a message for the other medical professionals.
“I want everyone in Orlando to know, hey, you should have this. The hospitals should have it, you know. Other pediatric offices should have it,” Trout said.
Smileyscope is the company behind this.
So far, they’ve partnered with more than 40 hospitals across the nation to implement the virtual reality technology.
