PITTSBURGH (PRWEB)
July 14, 2021

Cancer treatment can be long, tiring and stressful. At the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Cancer Institute, however, cancer patients now have access to innovative virtual reality technology that can help enhance their treatment experience.

Pioneered by Harvard MedTech, the technology resembles a large pair of binoculars that is worn by patients during treatment. Patients can choose from any number of relaxing scenes: sitting by a lake, walking in the woods, watching the sun rise over the ocean. The view transports them into a full, immersive experience where they are surrounded by the comforting sights and sounds of their chosen setting.

Harvard MedTech has donated 29 of the virtual reality headsets to AHN’s Cancer Institute for use by patients across the Institute’s multiple clinical sites.

“We are so grateful to Harvard MedTech for its generous donation of this amazing technology that will have an immensely positive impact on the care of our cancer patients,” said Allie Quick, Chief Philanthropy Officer, AHN.    

“Research has shown that when the brain focuses on a pleasurable virtual experience, it perceives stress and discomfort at lower levels,” said Pat McCutcheon, Senior Vice President of Market Partnerships, Harvard MedTech. “Over time, the virtual reality experience can induce neural pathway changes in the brain that promote long-term pain relief and reduced anxiety and depression. It’s a revolutionary concept that is transforming our understanding of how to manage pain and the psychosocial effects of trauma without drugs or surgery.”

Harvard MedTech’s donation to AHN came about through Gene Vaskov, the surviving spouse of a Cancer Institute patient, Connie Vaskov. Gene and his family were grateful for the quality of care Connie received from medical oncologist Jane Raymond, MD, and the entire Cancer Institute team, and wanted to make a gift that would help current and future patients undergoing cancer treatments. When Harvard MedTech learned of his desire to make a donation that would further improve the experience of cancer patients, the organization stepped up immediately.

“Cancer treatment can take a mental and physical toll on patients, yet it is critically important that they persevere and finish all prescribed treatments to have their best chance for a good outcome,” said Dr. Raymond. “We are really excited about the difference this technology may make in helping many of our patients do just that.”

AHN is increasingly using Harvard MedTech’s virtual reality technology in an even wider variety of medical and behavioral health applications. The Chill Project at AHN, which teaches meditation and mindfulness practices in local school districts, for example is adding it to the arsenal of tools to help students, teachers and staff cope with stress and anxiety.

AHN Director of Pain Medicine Abraham “Jack” Kabazie, MD also is launching a pilot program using Harvard MedTech Vx Therapy protocol to help patients cope with chronic pain and the behavioral health issues that often accompany it, such as anxiety and depression. As the use of opioid drugs for pain management has contributed to a national epidemic of addiction and overdose deaths, Harvard MedTech’s Vx Therapy Program is at the forefront of a national initiative to find effective alternative solutions for patients living with pain and the other effects of trauma.

For more information on Harvard MedTech, visit http://www.harvardmedtech.com.

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About Allegheny Health Network – and the AHN Cancer Institute

Allegheny Health Network, a Highmark Health Company, is a western Pennsylvania-based integrated healthcare system that serves patients from across a five-state region that includes western Pennsylvania and the adjacent regions of Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The Network’s Cancer Institute employs more than 200 physicians and 500 oncology professionals who provide a complete spectrum of oncology care at 24 affiliated oncology clinics, including access to state-of-the-art technologies and new therapies being explored in hundreds of clinical cancer trials. The Cancer Institute has the only cancer program in the Pittsburgh region accredited as an Integrated Network Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, and its radiation oncology program is the largest in the country accredited by the American Society for Radiation Oncology. AHN Cancer Institute is a Quality Oncology Practice Initiative certified practice, and is accredited by the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy, National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. AHN also has a formal affiliation with the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, one of the nation’s 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute, for research, medical education and clinical services.

About Harvard MedTech:

Harvard MedTech is a breakthrough digital health company that is tapping the new science of how the brain works, combining specially designed virtual reality experiences psychosocial support, digital engagement and proprietary AI algorithms to retrain neural pathways and alleviate the effects of trauma, including pain, PTSD, anxiety and depression. The company’s Vx Therapy model is the first to comprehensively integrate this unique combination of digital technologies with behavioral health interventions, in a virtual application that moves the point of care to the patient’s home. This virtual engagement drives higher compliance, patient satisfaction and optimal outcomes. It also allows the solution to be affordable and scalable at a population health level. This non-invasive and non-pharmacological approach also provides data that is trackable for a clear assessment of its value to patients and health care providers. Visit http://www.harvardmedtech.com for more information.

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