The Effect of Virtual Reality Applications

Thyroid nodules are a common health problem in the adult population. The majority of cancers are diagnosed by thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy. Thyroid nodules generally show clinical findings in 1-5% of cases on physical examination and 20-70% on ultrasound examination. In diagnosis; Ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration biopsy, ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy, scintigraphy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are widely used. The fact that the thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy procedure is painful, there is no speaking or coughing during the procedure, and in case of insufficient sample, the procedure must be performed several times. Its repetition causes fear and anxiety in patients. A combination of pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods for pain control likely provides the most effective pain relief for the patient. Distraction is one of the non-pharmacological methods used in pain control. Distraction is one of the most preferred methods to reduce pain in patients during diagnosis and treatment procedures. It is a method that allows patients to control and reduce the symptoms they experience by focusing their attention on a different point.The aim of this study is to examine the effect of using a motivational video with virtual reality glasses to distract attention during the biopsy procedure on pain, stress and fear in individuals with suspected thyroid cancer.