Enhancing patient experience in the surgical ICU through virtual reality: A pre-post mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Medical Technology
• Intensive Care Medicine
• Psychological Medicine

Background:

• Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) patients frequently experience significant psychological stress.
• This stress can negatively impact patient recovery and overall experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of virtual reality (VR) interventions in the SICU setting.
• To evaluate the impact of VR on patient-reported outcomes and physiological parameters.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method study with a pre-post-test design was conducted in a Chinese SICU.
• Quantitative data included patient-reported pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, comfort, and physiological measures (BP, HR, RR, SpO2).
• Qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with patients who experienced VR interventions.

Main Results:

• VR intervention led to significant reductions in pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety (P < 0.05).
• Patient comfort levels significantly increased post-intervention.
• Physiological parameters (BP, HR, RR, SpO2) showed no significant changes; VR was highly accepted with minimal reported discomfort.

Conclusions:

• Virtual reality interventions are a feasible and acceptable method for reducing psychological distress in SICU patients.
• VR significantly improves patient comfort and well-being without adverse physiological effects.
• Further research is recommended to optimize VR implementation in critical care settings.