Exploring Physiological and Emotional Responses in Pediatric Patient Rooms Using Virtual Reality, Eye-Tracking, and Biofeedback

Abstract

Hospitalization can significantly impact the emotional and physical well-being of pediatric patients and their families, highlighting the need for environments that reduce stress and promote healing. This mixed-methods study uses virtual reality (VR), eye tracking, facial electromyography (fEMG), and subjective feedback to assess how pediatric acute care room designs influence physiological and emotional responses, including arousal, valence, heart rate variability (HRV), and visual engagement. The study involved 28 participants across three groups: younger children (8-11 years), older children (12-17 years), and parents. Preferences between outboard vs. inboard layouts were examined, focusing on key features like-window size, artwork, social support elements, privacy affecting features such as nurse view windows, and corridor visibility. Key findings, from comparisons within and across all groups, showed that (1) younger children exhibited significantly positive emotional responses to vibrant artwork, highlighting its importance in creating sensory-rich environments that support emotional comfort and cognitive engagement, (2) older children value privacy, reacting negatively to visible nurse stations and visible corridors, emphasizing the need for autonomy-supportive design, (3) parents preferred larger windows and social support features, design elements that facilitate caregiving and reduce stress. While a preference for the inboard layout was observed, it was not statistically significant. Our findings emphasize the value of age-specific design approaches and suggest that pediatric healthcare environments should integrate sensory engagement and supportive design principles to optimize patient and caregiver experiences. The study calls for further research into the impacts of color, art content, and privacy configurations on the emotional and psychological well-being of pediatric patients and their families.

Keywords: pediatric inpatient room, theory of supportive design, virtual reality, eye tracking, facial electromyography (fEMG), emotional response, physiological response, biofeedback, patient room design