Improving the Patient Experience during Bone Marrow Biopsy/Aspiration (BMBA): Do Interventions Decrease Distress and Pain

• Published in: Transplantation and cellular therapy Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. S491 - S492
• Main Authors: Lasota, Michelle, Teets, Katie, Galanis, Patricia, Kearns, Lisa, Delengowski, Ann, Molyneaux, Donna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.02.2025
• ISSN: 2666-6367; 2666-6367
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2025.01.780

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to see if non-pharmacologic interventions improved the Patient Experience During Bone Marrow Biopsy/Aspiration (BMBA) procedures. Significance: The research team previously surveyed patients undergoing BMBA to ascertain if they thought interventions would decrease distress and pain during the biopsy. Among other interventions, the patients surveyed thought virtual reality and environmental changes might decrease pain and distress during the biopsy. This randomized study consisted of two phases; each phase included 30 subjects. In Phase 1, the subjects were randomized to virtual reality (VR) viewing of their choice or to the control group. The subjects were administered a pre-procedure questionnaire, evaluated for baseline vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate. The intervention group was instructed on how to use the VR of their choice for viewing during the procedure. All subjects underwent the BMBA and post procedure vital signs were evaluated and each subject completed a post-procedure questionnaire. The same process was done in Phase 2, environmental changes were made to the room and intervention subjects choose preferred music to be played during the biopsy. The primary aims assessed included pre- and post- scores for pain and distress and the secondary was patient satisfaction. The findings were that there was no significant difference between groups for any measured variables, concluding that the study cannot conclusively say that either the VR meditation or music/environmental changes reduced pain/distress or increased satisfaction in patients undergoing BMBA procedures compared to normal procedures. Despite that there were no significant differences between the control and intervention groups, the subjects in both arms were satisfied to extremely satisfied with the experience.