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In their October 2016 issue discussing virtual reality,  Québec Science magazine met with Sylvie LeMay, Researcher and  Professor at the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Montreal, to discuss the project she leads at the CHU-Sainte-Justine Research Center . The project is a pilot study that is the first initiative using virtual reality technology for the relief of pain in Quebec hospitals. This study aims to assess the feasibility of a virtual reality prototype attached to the perimeter of the bath in the hydrotherapy room for the relief of pain and anxiety of young children under 7 years of age having suffered burns. The pilot study received grants from the Quebec Network on Nursing Intervention Research (RRISIQ), the "Centre d'Expertise des Victimes de Brûlures Graves de l'Ouest du Québec", and the " Direction des Soins Infirmiers et du programme de chirurgie-trauma du CHU Ste-Justine". The pilot study will be followed by a larger clinical trial lead by Christelle Khadra, PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr. Le May.

Through this project, Dr. LeMay has established national and international collaborations including with Dr. David Paquin, Professor at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and expert in virtual environments and Dr. Hunter Hoffman of the University of Washington, who is the pioneer in the application of virtual reality for pain relief.


Québec Science