The Virtual Reality Tour: Immersive Preoperative Information for Elderly Patients

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Health Informatics
• Surgical Patient Education

Background:

• Older adults face challenges with information processing, increasing vulnerability and anxiety.
• Effective preoperative information is crucial for managing patient care and outcomes.
• New information technologies are needed to support elderly patients' understanding of surgical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore elderly patients' experiences and perceptions of a Virtual Reality (VR) preoperative informational tool.
• To assess the utility of VR as an adjunct to standard preoperative education for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative content analysis of 14 semi-structured interviews with post-discharge patients.
• Participants were recruited from a randomized controlled trial evaluating a VR-based tool.

Main Results:

• VR was perceived as a valuable supplement to standard preoperative information.
• Patients described their experiences with the immersive VR environment and its application to their surgical journey.
• Key themes included the usability of VR glasses and the evaluation of VR content against expectations and reality.

Conclusions:

• Immersive VR shows potential as a preoperative tool to enhance patient understanding and engagement in perioperative care.
• VR effectiveness is contingent on technical performance and individual adaptation; it should complement, not replace, healthcare professional communication.
• Further research is required to optimize VR delivery timing and assess its impact on preoperative anxiety and overall patient experience.