Virtual Reality in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Digital Health
• Psychological Interventions

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) using head-mounted displays (HMDs) is an effective tool for various symptoms.
• Advancing VR technology offers accessible psychological interventions for palliative care.
• This review synthesizes research on VR for palliative care patients' psychological and somatic outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review VR's impact on psychological and somatic outcomes in palliative care.
• To assess patient satisfaction and usability of VR interventions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines across multiple databases.
• Included peer-reviewed studies (experimental, quasi-experimental, observational, case, feasibility) using VR HMDs.
• Focused on studies reporting psychological and/or somatic outcomes in palliative care.

Main Results:

• Eight studies (2019-2021) involving 138 patients were included.
• Quantitative outcomes were ambiguous, but qualitative feedback was predominantly positive.
• VR interventions were generally reported as usable, feasible, acceptable, and satisfactory.

Conclusions:

• VR demonstrates potential in palliative care, addressing symptoms with minimal adverse effects.
• Future research requires robust randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate dosage and meaningful activities.