Using NICE standard* elective surgery patient-journey guidelines.

We welcome constructive feedback and suggestions from anyone who has experienced pre-operative anxiety as well as qualified clinicians.

This tour has been created by Ocean 3D Ltd, as an example of how clinicians may help reduce anxiety and DNA (did not attend) for and in pre-operative patients, by providing an accessibility friendly interactive guide of a typical operating theatre within the NHS.

Being told there’s something so (potentially seriously) wrong with a part of your body, that you are going to have to attend a huge building, where maybe hundreds or thousands of people work, possibly be given drugs to make you unconscious so that someone you’ve probably never met before can drill, cut or otherwise invade your personal being with the hope of improving your health but, with an inherent potential risk of other problems arising from the surgery or bad reaction to the anaesthetic, it’s perhaps hardly surprising that this possibility can cause severe anxiety in many people.

This can lead to:

• The patient delaying seeking or receiving early treatment.
• The patient cancelling or refusing to have treatment at short or zero notice.
• The patient having less positive clinical outcomes
• Some patients exhibiting fear-based aggression to clinical and non-clinical staff
• Collatoral negative effects on the patients family, friends and, or, carers.
• Addional costs, delays, inefficiencies and other negative factors for the NHS

At Ocean 3D, we know that knowledge can help dispel fear. We also know that there is a growing body of peer-reviewed published papers on the positive benefits of VR in medicine and pre-familiarisation of potentially negative experiences in a controlled and safe environment.

Our mission is to reduce the understandable worries and fears, which are often experienced particularly acutely by many people with hidden conditions and disabilities, by providing an engaging, informative, low-cost and WCAG standard accessible solution.

We are actively seeking constructive engagement, feedback and ideas from patients, clinicians and relevant children’s, mental and physical health charities on how we can improve and enhance our solution. Will you help? Take the tour, share with your colleagues and add your constructive comments below. Thank you.

With no app to download, accessible on almost any 4/5G or Wi-Fi connected smart-phone, tablet or desktop and, free at the point of use, 24/7.

Chris Wood – Director. Ocean 3D Ltd.

Knowledge dispels fear. Patients, their family members, friends or carers, can access, discuss and explore a location, 24/7 on any 4/5G/ Wi-Fi connected smartphone, tablet or desktop, as well as Meta™ VR headsets if required. In-tour explainer videos and patient information downloads add further depth of knowledge and patient reassurance.

Ocean 3D Ltd AR tours have been passed by ORCHA for NHS Digital.