Collaborative Creation of Podcasts to Promote the Implementation of Virtual Reality in Children’s Health Care
Medical procedures can cause significant pain and anxiety in children, which may be exacerbated in language minority contexts. Virtual reality (VR) is an effective non-pharmacological distraction that can reduce pain and anxiety without requiring language proficiency. Although Shriners Hospitals for Children–Canada has integrated VR into its bilingual care, gaps in structure and resources remain, and broader implementation faces barriers.
In Quebec, English-speaking children may experience increased communication anxiety and reduced healthcare use when care is not delivered in their preferred language, potentially leading to poorer outcomes. Addressing language barriers is therefore essential.
To support VR implementation, our team will co-develop a 5-episode English-language podcast series targeting healthcare professionals in Quebec. The series will address barriers, facilitators, and real-world use of VR in pediatric care, with a focus on improving equity for English-speaking children. It will be disseminated via the McGill website and major podcast platforms, with the goal of promoting VR adoption to reduce pediatric pain and anxiety across language contexts.
Outputs:
A manuscript on podcasting as a knowledge translation tool has been completed and will be submitted to Digital Health Journal (April 2026).
(Audience: research community, knowledge brokers)A second manuscript on integrating podcasting into academic curricula is in development (submission: Summer 2026).
(Audience: research community, educators)A podcast series was produced (7 interview episodes + intro and summary) with accompanying educational materials.
(Audience: healthcare professionals and stakeholders in pediatric VR implementation)Findings were disseminated at multiple national and international conferences (posters and oral presentations).
(Audience: research community, knowledge brokers)Educational integration included a course assignment (Mount Allison University) and a lecture to ~150 nursing students at McGill.
A workshop and national presentation (PICH2GO 2025) trained ~250 participants on podcast-based knowledge translation.