VR-CARE: a protocol for a mixed-methods study and pilot trial with embedded process evaluation to develop and...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Digital Health Technologies
• Gerontology

Background:

• UK care home staff training for risk reduction is currently limited, non-standardized, and difficult to implement.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers an immersive and engaging educational approach with growing adoption in health and social care.
• The effectiveness of VR for training in care home settings remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel VR risk reduction training program for care homes, integrating hand hygiene and falls prevention modules.
• To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this VR training through a pilot trial.
• To inform the design of a future large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Main Methods:

• A two-phase approach incorporating patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) throughout.
• Phase 1: Mixed-methods, user-centered design to develop VR training and an implementation toolkit, with iterative testing by 15 care home staff.
• Phase 2: Mixed-methods pilot cluster RCT with a waitlist control (up to 80 staff) and process evaluation to assess practicality, impact, and scalability.

Main Results:

• Development of a user-friendly and acceptable VR risk reduction training program and implementation toolkit.
• Pilot trial data informing the refinement of measures and methods for a future RCT.
• Insights into the practicality, broader impacts, and scalability of VR training in care homes.

Conclusions:

• VR presents a promising avenue for enhancing risk reduction training for UK care home staff.
• The VR-CARE project successfully developed and piloted an innovative training solution.
• Further research via a full RCT is warranted to confirm the efficacy of VR training in improving care home safety and resident outcomes.