[Person-centered care-based digital transformation education program for elderly dementia patients with delirium: a...

This study aimed to develop an educational program for doctors and nurses who treat and care for older adults with dementia and delirium, based on a person-centered care program, utilizing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

A VR/AR-based program was implemented from February 16 to June 10, 2023, and participants were asked to complete questionnaires before the intervention, immediately after, and three months later.

This study included 74 participants, including 61 nurses (84.2%) and 13 doctors (17.6%). Confidence in delirium care significantly increased for both nurses and doctors immediately after the intervention and one month later relative to baseline. However, knowledge of delirium did not show significant improvement in either nurses or doctors. In the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire, nurses showed significant improvement in the domain of "personhood" and their total score after one month relative to baseline. The total score of doctors only improved immediately after the intervention relative to the baseline score. In the Team Approach Assessment Scale-Revised, nurses showed significant improvement in the domain of "clarification of goals and roles" and the total score of nurses at one month relative to baseline, while physicians showed no significant improvement.

The program using VR/AR to experience the viewpoints of elderly individuals with dementia and the experiences of multiple professions in this study significantly improved nurses' practice and awareness of person-centered care for older adults with dementia, and nurses' and physicians' confidence in their treatment and care for delirium. Moreover, the study highlights the necessity of incorporating interventions that draw upon the expertise of various professions within dementia care programs to promote multidisciplinary collaboration.