VIRTUAL REALITY AS AN ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT TO OPIOID THERAPY IN PAIN MANAGEMENT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ADDRESSING THE U.S. OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Author(s)
Preet bhogal, MSc1, Dania Al-Dulaimy, BSc2, Tracey Tingle, BSc2.
1WEP Clinical, london, United Kingdom, 2WEP Clinical, London, United Kingdom.
1WEP Clinical, london, United Kingdom, 2WEP Clinical, London, United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVES: The opioid crisis in the U.S. has resulted in over 806,000 overdose deaths between 1999 and 2023. Our research evaluates Virtual Reality (VR) as an opioid-sparing intervention in pain management, and its potential to mitigate the U.S. opioid epidemic through improved patient-centered outcomes.
METHODS: Data was synthesized from literature reviews, clinical trials, and economic value assessments in VR as an adjunctive treatment, in patients with acute and chronic pain. Other primary desk research will explore policy analysis, reimbursement pathways, FDA approval status, and equity considerations for digital therapeutics. Case studies will also be presented. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of clinical and economic outcomes, focusing on measures such as pain reduction, opioid use, healthcare resource utilization, and patient-centered benefits including quality of life (QoL) and functionality.
RESULTS: VR showed clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity. Among post-surgical patients, VR reduced opioid consumption by 14.00 milligram morphine equivalents (MME) at 8 hours post-intervention. In chronic pain, brief VR sessions lowered pain by 33%, comparable to morphine. VR received FDA approval in 2021 for the management of chronic lower back pain in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) to reduce narcotic dependence, highlighting its growing role in pain management. Economic value assessments indicated cost savings are largely driven by shorter hospital stays and higher patient satisfaction. However, most studies lack standardized QoL utility-based measures like EQ-5D, limiting integration into cost-utility analyses. Addressing this will be crucial for robust economic evaluations and policy adoption.
CONCLUSIONS: Evidence demonstrates that VR, as an adjunctive treatment, is a clinically effective opioid-sparing intervention in pain management. VR reduces opioid reliance, offering a patient-centered, and potentially cost-saving alternative to traditional pain treatments, addressing key drivers of opioid misuse. Further economic evaluations are needed to fully assess its cost-effectiveness and potential for broader adoption to deliver societal benefits.
METHODS: Data was synthesized from literature reviews, clinical trials, and economic value assessments in VR as an adjunctive treatment, in patients with acute and chronic pain. Other primary desk research will explore policy analysis, reimbursement pathways, FDA approval status, and equity considerations for digital therapeutics. Case studies will also be presented. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of clinical and economic outcomes, focusing on measures such as pain reduction, opioid use, healthcare resource utilization, and patient-centered benefits including quality of life (QoL) and functionality.
RESULTS: VR showed clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity. Among post-surgical patients, VR reduced opioid consumption by 14.00 milligram morphine equivalents (MME) at 8 hours post-intervention. In chronic pain, brief VR sessions lowered pain by 33%, comparable to morphine. VR received FDA approval in 2021 for the management of chronic lower back pain in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) to reduce narcotic dependence, highlighting its growing role in pain management. Economic value assessments indicated cost savings are largely driven by shorter hospital stays and higher patient satisfaction. However, most studies lack standardized QoL utility-based measures like EQ-5D, limiting integration into cost-utility analyses. Addressing this will be crucial for robust economic evaluations and policy adoption.
CONCLUSIONS: Evidence demonstrates that VR, as an adjunctive treatment, is a clinically effective opioid-sparing intervention in pain management. VR reduces opioid reliance, offering a patient-centered, and potentially cost-saving alternative to traditional pain treatments, addressing key drivers of opioid misuse. Further economic evaluations are needed to fully assess its cost-effectiveness and potential for broader adoption to deliver societal benefits.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
PCR178
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Neurological Disorders, STA: Alternative Medicine, STA: Surgery