P134: THE AREAL PROJECT: A VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATION TO SUPPORT THE THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE AND THERAPY EDUCATION OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH THALASSEMIA AND SICKLE CELL DISEASE
Authors: V Megale, M Casale, R Colombatti, V Pinto, I Baido, C Brentan, G Forni, M Forte, F Grieco, V Munaretto, S Perrotta, M Putti, G Robello
Journal: HemaSphere (2022)

Background: The chronic transfusion regimen consists of procedures that take time and that significantly impact the quality of life of patients with thalassemia or sickle cell disease; sometimes these procedures are carried out in uncomfortable environments where the patient tries with his own means to get distracted or “estranged”. Therefore, the need to pay attention not only to the strictly physical needs but also to the psychological, emotional and social needs of patients emerges with the aim of recovering valuable time “monopolized” by therapy by enriching the therapeutic path with activities capable of involving more the person. Aims: From this need and the opportunities offered by the digital technologies available today, the AREAL project was born, developed by the Italian startup Softcare Studios in partnership with the pharma company Novartis. AREAL consists of a gaming experience enjoyed in virtual reality thanks to the use of suitable VR viewers, designed in collaboration with medical staff to enhance the time spent in the hospital during the transfusion routine of young adult and adult patients. Methods: AREAL consists of three gaming activities developed to immerse the patient in a sensorially stimulating scenario different from the hospital one in which the user is forced to spend his time, and designed to stimulate cognitive skills (memory, reflexes, attention, auditory processing and visual, logic and association, spatial navigation), providing added value to the patient’s engagement / entertainment and compensating for the near physical immobility required during the transfusion / medical procedure (Figure 1). AREAL also integrates elements of patient education in therapy and recommended lifestyle habits to promote their well-being, and is equipped with a social functionality thanks to which patients can play together with other patients in the same hospital or between hospitals. different, laying the foundations for building a delocalized patient community. Results: AREAL is currently in use in 3 pilot hospital centers in Italy, Padova, Genova, Napoli, where, over a period of 4 months, evidence will be collected on its impact on the therapeutic experience of patients, usability will be assessed and the integration in the staff work routine will be refined. doctor, with the ultimate goal of extending the concept of “care” not only to clinical but also emotional and psychological aspects during all the time spent in the hospital.Figure 1.: Example of different scenarios of the virtual realityReferences 1. Colombatti R, Casale M, Russo G.Disease burden and quality of life of in children with sickle cell disease in Italy: time to be considered a priority.Ital J Pediatr. 2021 Jul 29;47(1):163. 2. Current challenges in the management of patients with sickle cell disease - A report of the Italian experience.Russo G, De Franceschi L, Colombatti R, Rigano P, Perrotta S, Voi V, Palazzi G, Fidone C, Quota A, Graziadei G, Pietrangelo A, Pinto V, Ruffo GB, Sorrentino F, Venturelli D, Casale M, Ferrara F, Sainati L, Cappellini MD, Piga A, Maggio A, Forni GL. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2019 May 30;14(1):120. 3. Pinto VM, Poggi M, Russo R, Giusti A, Forni GL. Management of the aging beta-thalassemia transfusion-dependent population - The Italian experience. Blood Rev. 2019 Nov;38:100594.