Knowledge and Experience of In-Home Virtual Reality for Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Digital Health
• Sickle Cell Disease Research

Background:

• Adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) often experience chronic pain unresponsive to traditional treatments.
• Non-pharmacological interventions for home-based pain management in SCD are limited.
• Virtual reality (VR) is a potential non-pharmacological tool for chronic pain, but its use in SCD is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the knowledge and perceptions of VR among adults with SCD.
• To investigate the experiences of adults with SCD using in-home VR for chronic pain management.
• To assess the potential of VR as a home-based self-management strategy for SCD pain.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative, descriptive pilot study design.
• Nine adult participants with SCD completed demographic questionnaires.
• Individual interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Main Results:

• Participants' experiences aligned with the technology acceptance model.
• Key themes included pain beliefs, self-management, VR as an immersive experience, and practical use of in-home VR.
• Preliminary data indicate VR's potential for non-pharmacological pain management in SCD.

Conclusions:

• VR demonstrates potential as a non-pharmacological strategy for home-based chronic pain management in adults with SCD.
• Further research is needed to address challenges and limitations of in-home VR for this population.
• This study highlights the need for exploring innovative interventions for SCD pain relief.