Evelyn Chan

33, from Melbourne, Vic – Virtual reality to reduce medical trauma in children.

Paediatrician Evelyn has given children thousands of injections, and it’s often difficult. The kids are scared and sometimes medical staff have to pin down a child who doesn’t understand what’s happening. “I’ve had kids kick, bite or scream,” Evelyn says. “You get needle-stick injuries.” The experience led her to develop Smileyscope, a virtual reality experience that calms and entertains children while doctors work. “We talked to 100 children and families who’d had a traumatic blood sample taken, digital designers and producers. They were inspiring. We combined their best practice.” Smileyscope recently ran the world’s largest clinical trial for virtual reality in health care. They found a 60 per cent decrease in pain, a 40 per cent decrease in anxiety and a 75 per cent drop in parental distress. The need to pin children down for procedures was halved. “It’s an exciting area, using technology to replace drugs or support medication,” Evelyn says. The prize money would allow this small start-up to expand its network and get into more clinics.