Pediatric departments and clinics

Shots and Blood Draws Without the Wrestling Match

Most children are scared of needles, and the fear peaks before the needle appears. SendorVR gives a child somewhere else to be for the minutes that matter, and gives the nurse a calm patient to work with.

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Shots and Blood Draws Without the Wrestling Match

What Makes This Setting Hard

The fear arrives before the needle
In the 2012 Ontario survey, 63% of children reported fear of needles. By the time the alcohol swab comes out, many are already crying, and the procedure is now happening to a moving target.
Every extra attempt costs more than time
A child who pulls away needs restraint, a second attempt, and a longer recovery. Each of those makes the next visit harder, and parents remember the visit that went badly.
Tablets and toys run out of pull
A cartoon on a phone competes with a needle in the peripheral vision and usually loses. A headset removes the needle from view entirely and fills the whole field of view instead.

How SendorVR Fits the Workflow

No medication, no clinical intervention, and no change to how the procedure is done. Four steps, about thirty seconds of staff time.

1
Offer it while the child is still calm
Show the headset in the waiting area or at the start of the visit, before anything clinical is on the table. Let them hold it.
2
Fit and start
Quick-fit strap, one tap to start. The child is inside a soft, floating world within seconds, with a parent's hand still on their arm.
3
Do the procedure as usual
Position, swab, inject or draw. The child's attention is elsewhere, and the sight of the needle is gone.
4
Finish on a high
Let them stay in the world for a moment after the plaster goes on, then wipe the cover and the headset is ready for the next room.

What the Research Says

SendorVR is a comfort aid, not a treatment, and it has not been trialled on its own. The published evidence below is what it is designed around. Every citation links to the original publication.

Meta-analysis · 2024 · 21 studies
Across 2,663 children, VR distraction during needle procedures was associated with lower reported pain, fear and anxiety, with substantial variation between studies.
Cáceres-Matos et al., Nursing Reports
Feasibility pilot · 2024 · 30 children
In a pilot with children who had needle phobia, 90% were successfully immunised. Of the 17 who used VR during the immunisation, 16 reported a more positive experience.
Makhijani et al., Vaccine
Survey · 2012 · 1,024 parents and children
Fear of needles was reported by 24% of parents and 63% of children. Needle fear was the primary reason for immunisation non-compliance for 7% of parents and 8% of children.
Taddio et al., Vaccine

Practical Details

About 30 seconds
Fit the headset, tap start, carry on.
Any staff member
Kiosk mode, one app, nothing to configure.
Wipe and go
Wipeable face cover and cleaning kit included.
Ages 10 and up
Follows the headset maker's guidance.
Always optional
Patients choose; some prefer to watch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age can children use SendorVR?

SendorVR follows the headset makers' guidance, which is ten and up on the Meta Quest headset in the Clinical Kit. Research studies have used VR with younger children under supervision, but the headset itself is designed for ten and older.

Does the child need to hold still?

Yes, in the same way as with any distraction. Children sit or lie as they normally would, with a parent close by. The experience is calm rather than fast-moving, so it does not encourage sudden movement.

Can a parent stay with the child?

Always. A parent's hand on the arm or shoulder is part of the comfort, and the child can hear the room throughout. The experience is designed to be shared, not to isolate.

What if the child does not want the headset?

Then nobody uses it. SendorVR is always optional, and a child who wants to watch should be allowed to. In our experience, seeing another child use it is the most persuasive argument.

Is there evidence VR helps children with needles?

A 2024 meta-analysis of 21 studies found VR distraction was associated with lower reported pain, fear and anxiety during pediatric needle procedures, with variation between studies. SendorVR is designed around that literature but has not been trialled on its own.