Development of a Virtual Reality Exposure Tool as Psychological Preparation for Elective Pediatric Day Care Surgery: Methodological Approach for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Robin Eijlers   ¹ , MSc ;   Jeroen S Legerstee   ¹ , PhD ;   Bram Dierckx   ¹ , MD, PhD ;   Lonneke M Staals   ² , MD, PhD ;   Johan Berghmans   ^{1, 3} , MD ;   Marc P van der Schroeff   ^{4, 5} , MD, PhD ;   Rene MH Wijnen   ⁶ , MD, PhD ;   Elisabeth MWJ Utens   ^{1, 7, 8} , PhD

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands

² Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands

³ Department of Anesthesia, ZNA Middelheim, Queen Paola Children’s Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium

⁴ Dutch Craniofacial Center, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands

⁵ Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands

⁶ Intensive Care and Department of Pediatric Surgery, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, Netherlands

⁷ Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

⁸ Academic Center for Child Psychiatry De Bascule/Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands