An interventional study of Best Practice and Interview in Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm and Malignant Solid Neoplasm, sponsored by Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-16.
Sponsored by Roswell Park Cancer Institute · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
This clinical trial compares the use of virtual reality to standard care for improving symptom management in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Significant symptoms experienced by hospitalized HSCT patients include, but are not limited to, depression, tiredness, anxiety, drowsiness, lack of appetite, pain, and overall decreased quality of life and well-being. Virtual reality (VR) as an intervention can provide these patients with a much-needed escape from their reality and has proven results in clinical settings as a distraction therapy. VR technology targets the patient's auditory, visual, and physical contact/touch senses, and has been evidenced to improve depression, fatigue, anxiety, appetite, and pain. Virtual reality may improve symptom management in patients undergoing HSCT.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To determine the efficacy of VR for symptom management in the admitted HSCT patient population.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE:
I. To examine the use of supportive medications for symptom management after HSCT while using VR.
EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVE:
I. To evaluate any limitations or barriers of the use of VR in the inpatient setting throughout the study.
OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.
ARM I: Patients use the VR device to participate in applications related to relaxation such as mediation, art and nature, for up to 15 minutes, daily, while inpatient for standard of care HSCT.
ARM II: Patients undergo standard care for the HSCT.
After completion of study intervention, patients are followed up after discharge.
Roswell Park Cancer Institute is the lead sponsor of 412 studies on the registry; 62 are open to participants now.
Of its 38 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 21 (55%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients use the VR device to participate in applications related to relaxation such as mediation, art and nature, for up to 15 minutes, daily, while inpatient for standard of care HSCT.
Other: Interview · Other: Survey Administration · Procedure: Virtual Reality
Patients undergo standard care for the HSCT.
Other: Best Practice · Other: Survey Administration
Undergo standard care
Also known as: standard of care, standard therapy
Ancillary studies
Ancillary studies
Use VR device
Also known as: VR
Difference in the trajectories of the mean Edmonston Symptom Assessment System Revised (ESAS-r) composite scores
Firstly, the pattern of ESAS-r scores over time will be graphically examined. To account for the within-individual correlations, a generalized linear mixed model with appropriate link function will be applied. The time is measured by the number of days after treatment start and will be considered as a continuous variable. The effect of interest is the time by group interaction. Significant interaction implies different trajectories of ESAS-r composite scores over time. If the nonlinear patterns were observed, appropriate transformation or analyses focusing on the linear region will be considered. All tests will be two sided at a significant level of 0.05. Scores of individual items will be compared using the same approach. False discovery rate will be controlled using Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. As complementary analyses, models with only surveys before or after the virtual reality will also be examined.
Time frame: Length of hospital stay up to 6 months
Counts of supportive medication administration
Will be compared between two arms using generalized linear mixed models with appropriate link functions. The types of medications will be summarized by counts and percentages for each arm. Pre-intervention counts will be compared to during-intervention counts. The types of supportive medications will also be examined (i.e. anxiolytic, antidepressant, analgesic or antiemetics). Medications include (but are not limited to) the following: hydromorphone, acetaminophen, lorazepam, ondansetron, prochlorperazine, trazodone, and tramadol.
Time frame: Length of hospital stay up to 6 months
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Roswell Park Cancer Institute