Last fall, I was preparing for major abdominal surgery that would keep me in the hospital for a week, with an additional seven weeks of recovery at home. I knew from previous experience that pain management would be a challenge, and I knew through my work at CDW that there’s growing interest in using virtual reality (VR) to help patients manage their pain.

I decided to serve as a guinea pig, bringing an Oculus Go headset with me to the hospital to see whether it would actually help with my recovery. Here’s what I learned:

For many years, technologists and healthcare providers have made great strides in applying IT to patient care. The healthcare industry has successfully deployed solutions ranging from large-scale electronic record systems to personal, connected devices that monitor people’s vital signs. But until recently, the industry hadn’t gotten far in applying technology to improve the in-person patient experience. For most of us, sitting in an exam room waiting our turn with the doctor, for example, has been the same throughout our lives.

Increasingly, healthcare companies are using VR for multiple purposes, including to treat anxiety and even manage pain — here’s how.