Ahmad M, Bani Mohammad E, Anshasi HA Virtual Reality Technology for Pain and Anxiety Management among Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review. Pain Manag Nurs. 2020 Dec;21(6):601-607. doi: 10.1016/j.pmn.2020.04.002. Epub 2020 May 15.
Dunn J, Yeo E, Moghaddampour P, Chau B, Humbert S Virtual and augmented reality in the treatment of phantom limb pain: A literature review. NeuroRehabilitation. 2017;40(4):595-601. doi: 10.3233/NRE-171447.
Kwan I, Wang R, Pearce E, Bhattacharya S Pain relief for women undergoing oocyte retrieval for assisted reproduction. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 May 15;5(5):CD004829. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004829.pub4.
Lai SF, Lam MT, Li HWR, Ng EHY A randomized double-blinded non-inferiority trial comparing fentanyl and midazolam with pethidine and diazepam for pain relief during oocyte retrieval. Reprod Biomed Online. 2020 May;40(5):653-660. doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.
Mallari B, Spaeth EK, Goh H, Boyd BS Virtual reality as an analgesic for acute and chronic pain in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Pain Res. 2019 Jul 3;12:2053-2085. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S200498. eCollection 2019.
Ng EH, Miao B, Ho PC A randomized double-blind study to compare the effectiveness of three different doses of lignocaine used in paracervical block during oocyte retrieval. J Assist Reprod Genet. 2003 Jan;20(1):8-12. doi: 10.1023/a:1021202604049.
Ng EH, Tang OS, Chui DK, Ho PC A prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study to assess the efficacy of paracervical block in the pain relief during egg collection in IVF. Hum Reprod. 1999 Nov;14(11):2783-7. doi: 10.1093/humrep/14.1
Ng EH, Tang OS, Chui DK, Ho PC Comparison of two different doses of lignocaine used in paracervical block during oocyte collection in an IVF programme. Hum Reprod. 2000 Oct;15(10):2148-51. doi: 10.1093/humrep/15.10.2148.
Roest I, Buisman ETIA, van der Steeg JW, Koks CAM Different methods of pain relief for IVF and ICSI oocyte retrieval - A Dutch survey. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol X. 2019 Jun 15;4:100065. doi: 10.1016/j.eurox.2019.100065. eCollection 2019 Oct.
Interventional studies are often prospective and are specifically tailored to evaluate direct impacts of treatment or preventive measures on disease.
Observational studies are often retrospective and are used to assess potential causation in exposure-outcome relationships and therefore influence preventive methods.
Expanded access is a means by which manufacturers make investigational new drugs available, under certain circumstances, to treat a patient(s) with a serious disease or condition who cannot participate in a controlled clinical trial.
Clinical trials are conducted in a series of steps, called phases - each phase is designed to answer a separate research question.
Phase 1: Researchers test a new drug or treatment in a small group of people for the first time to evaluate its safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2: The drug or treatment is given to a larger group of people to see if it is effective and to further evaluate its safety.
Phase 3: The drug or treatment is given to large groups of people to confirm its effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to commonly used treatments, and collect information that will allow the drug or treatment to be used safely.
Phase 4: Studies are done after the drug or treatment has been marketed to gather information on the drug's effect in various populations and any side effects associated with long-term use.