Extended reality and healthcare practitioner well-being: scoping review

Extended reality may offer a convenient and effective method of increasing well-being within the wider healthcare workforce and particularly for those working in the mental health sector who are subject to high levels of stress because of increased workload, high levels of staff turnover and limited resources.

This scoping review aims to identify and assimilate relevant literature pertaining to the use of extended reality to improve healthcare practitioners' well-being.

Databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane and PubMed) and grey literature were searched for relevant articles using established methodology and reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews.

A total of 280 articles were yielded by the search strategy, with 13 relevant articles selected by two independent reviewers in a blinded process. Studies demonstrated a heterogenous pool of outcome measurement modalities, intervention modalities and duration and frequency of the interventions. Of all the studies, 85% note a positive impact on healthcare practitioner well-being but studies have limited comparability because of heterogeneity. Interventions were engaging but the practicality of implementing such technologies into a finance- and time-limited healthcare environment will be a challenge.

Whilst extended reality is a promising well-being intervention, there is a paucity of literature relating to its effect on mental health practitioners' well-being, and further studies in this area are required.