Immersive virtual reality in hand therapy - An International survey of clinical integration

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging modality in hand therapy, offering significant therapeutic potential across various indications and injury types. The objective of this study was to explore the adoption and utilization of VR among international hand therapy professionals.

Between 16 February and 15 March 2025, an online survey with 8 questions was distributed through social media platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and by email within five international hand therapy societies. Participants were queried regarding the indications using VR, their reasons for not yet implementing VR and their intentions to adopt this technology in the future.

There were 236 respondents from 30 different countries. Findings revealed that 91% of surveyed clinicians currently did not integrate VR into their practice. High entry costs for hardware, and software (29.74 %), as well as a non-awareness of the usability of VR in HT (16.39 %) were the 2 biggest barriers to integrating VR in clinical practice. However, of that group, 10.70 % wanted to start, 56.69 % might start, and 32.58% will not start with VR in practice.

Despite limited current use, clinicians show strong interest in integrating immersive VR into hand therapy. Wider adoption will depend on reduced costs, improved usability, and expanded therapeutic applications. Further research is needed to establish its clinical effectiveness and support broader implementation.