The Interplay Between Health Disparities and Acceptability of Virtual Reality: A Survey Study.

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging non-pharmacological tool for managing acute and chronic pain.
• Health disparities may impact the effectiveness and acceptance of pain management interventions.
• Chronic orofacial pain affects a significant patient population, necessitating accessible treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability of virtual reality (VR) as an adjuvant therapy for chronic pain.
• To investigate the influence of neighborhood-level social determinants of health on VR acceptability.
• To determine participant willingness to engage in a longitudinal VR study and their expectations for pain relief.

Main Methods:

• A survey study was conducted among clinically phenotyped chronic orofacial pain participants in Maryland.
• Participants were queried on their willingness to join a VR study and their anticipated pain relief.
• Data were collected from March 11-15, 2020, with a 20% response rate (70/350).

Main Results:

• 90% of respondents were willing to participate in a VR study, and 84.3% expected pain relief.
• Neighborhood distress or socioeconomic status did not affect survey response rates or participant proportions.
• Key demographics and pain severity did not influence willingness to participate or expectations of VR benefits.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality (VR) demonstrates significant potential as an accepted adjuvant intervention for chronic pain.
• Acceptability of VR for pain management appears independent of neighborhood-level social determinants of health.
• Findings support the broad applicability of VR interventions across diverse patient populations experiencing chronic pain.