The effect of hand massage with virtual reality environment created in the preoperative area on patient outcomes

This study is a three-group, randomized controlled intervention designed to examine the effects of 3D video viewing via a virtual reality headset and classical hand massage on patients' preoperative vital signs, patient satisfaction, pain, and anxiety levels. A preliminary study was conducted with 10 participants in each research group, and based on the results, the required sample size was determined to be 78 participants (26 in the virtual reality group, 26 in the hand massage group, and 26 in the control group). During the data collection process, a total of 197 patients were assessed for eligibility, and those included in the study were randomized according to the days of the week. Data were collected in the preoperative waiting unit of the operating room at Balcalı Hospital Health Practice and Research Center. The "Personal Information Form" was used to collect sociodemographic data, the "Visual Analog Scale (VAS)" was used to assess pain levels and patient satisfaction, and the "Surgical Anxiety Scale" was used to measure anxiety levels. The study findings indicate that hand massage and virtual reality interventions had statistically significant effects on respiratory rate, pulse, and mean arterial pressure in the preoperative period. Although no statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of pain scores, all groups demonstrated a significant improvement in patient satisfaction following the interventions. Both hand massage and virtual reality applications resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the total and subscale scores of the surgical anxiety scale. However, the extent of anxiety reduction was comparable in both intervention groups, suggesting that neither method was superior in alleviating preoperative anxiety. In conclusion, both hand massage and virtual reality interventions effectively reduce preoperative anxiety and enhance patient satisfaction. These two methods, which have different mechanisms of action, can be considered viable options for managing anxiety and vital signs in surgical patients.