AppliedVR awarded contract by US Department of Veterans Affairs to provide VR-based pain treatment solution

In Virtual Reality News

December 9, 2022 – AppliedVR, a provider of immersive therapeutics advancing a novel, virtual reality- (VR) based approach to medicine, has this week announced a contract with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide its FDA-authorized RelieVRx (formerly EaseVRx) solution to select Veterans impacted by chronic lower back pain (CLBP). AppliedVR was awarded the contract with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, a division of the VA that discovers, evaluates, and spreads mission-driven innovations that advance care delivery for Veterans.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides care to more than 9 million Veterans across the US, making it the largest integrated healthcare system in the country. According to AppliedVR, more than 50 percent of Veterans receiving care at VHA facilities across the country are affected by chronic pain. AppliedVR noted that it shares a common vision with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem to transform chronic pain care for US Veterans by enabling more access to non-pharmacological, noninvasive treatment options such as virtual reality (VR).

Through the joint effort, healthcare providers at 18 VA facilities will have the ability to prescribe the RelieVRx program to Veterans for use in their homes. RelieVRx is an FDA-authorized in-home immersive VR pain treatment indicated as adjunctive treatment for CLBP. The eight-week program has been clinically demonstrated to decrease pain severity and pain interference in the lives of people experiencing CLBP. In a recent clinical trial follow-up study, the RelieVRx system also was shown to deliver durable effects six months after treatment, according to AppliedVR.

“Chronic pain is challenging to treat—historically, pharmacological interventions like opioids and NSAIDS, or invasive procedures like injections or surgeries have failed to provide relief for too many patients, leaving them a bleak outlook. Current guidelines call for integrated pain treatment, and immersive therapeutics like RelieVRx provide multidimensional therapy in a single, easy-to-use device. Our evidence-based immersive therapeutics can help Veterans manage their chronic lower back pain by addressing the biopsychosocial aspects of the condition,” said Matthew Stoudt, CEO and co-founder of AppliedVR. “Working with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem represents one of the highest honors for our company, because US Veterans are heroes, and they deserve the world’s best healthcare that includes the most advanced technology-driven solutions.”

This week’s announcement marks the latest collaboration between AppliedVR and the VHA Innovation Ecosystem. The two organizations previously collaborated to deliver VR-based solutions that could comfort Veterans in hospice (palliative care) and help improve the quality of life of Veterans experiencing general chronic pain, stress and anxiety in a variety of healthcare settings.

AppliedVR did not disclose the amount awarded for the VHA Innovation Ecosystem contract in its announcement. However, at the end of September this year, the company was awarded a USD $500,000 contract for the provision of medical and surgical instruments, equipment and supplies. Auganix has reached out to the company for clarification.

For more information on AppliedVR and its VR-based immersive therapeutics solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: AppliedVR

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.