Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Watching Movies to Decrease Anxiety During Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the only non-invasive treatment for urolithiasis; however, it can cause anxiety and pain for patients. Several new nonpharmacological adjuvant approaches have been developed to reduce adverse events. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy of watching movies during ESWL to relieve anxiety and pain. METHODS: A total of 84 patients were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group consisted of 42 patients who watched their own selected movies during the ESWL session, while the control group included 42 patients who did not watch movies. Basic characteristics, hemodynamic parameters, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Visual Analog Scale for pain, willingness to repeat the procedure, and patient satisfaction rates were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: After watching movies during ESWL, patients had a significantly lower anxiety level (p = 0.001) and a higher satisfaction rate (p = 0.021). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of demographic data, hemodynamic parameters, pain scores, or willingness to repeat the procedure. CONCLUSION: Watching self-selected movies during an ESWL can effectively reduce anxiety and improve satisfaction.