Enhancing the Patient Experience for Individuals Undergoing Endoscopic Procedures Using Virtual Reality.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Translating complex medical procedure results to patients is challenging.
• Standard methods like printed reports may lack patient engagement and understanding.
• Effective patient-provider communication is crucial for informed decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient satisfaction and perceived value of a virtual reality (VR) technology (HealthVoyager) for communicating endoscopy and colonoscopy findings.
• To compare the VR approach against the standard practice of reviewing printed reports.
• To assess the potential of VR in improving medical knowledge translation for patients.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 41 patients undergoing endoscopy or colonoscopy.
• The test group (17 patients) received VR reports via HealthVoyager.
• The control group (24 patients) received standard printed reports.
• Patient satisfaction and perceived value were assessed using self-report surveys.

Main Results:

• Patients using HealthVoyager reported significantly higher satisfaction with understanding their gastrointestinal condition and procedure outcomes.
• The VR experience was perceived as more valuable for learning compared to standard printed reports.
• The study highlights a significant improvement in patient comprehension and satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• HealthVoyager, a VR platform, significantly enhances patient satisfaction and understanding of endoscopy/colonoscopy results.
• This technology offers a promising tool for improving medical knowledge translation between healthcare providers and patients.
• VR-based patient reporting has broad implications for various medical fields and patient populations.