Translating behavioral interventions into virtual reality: the Transcend Framework for immersive health design

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Immersive Technologies
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Virtual Reality (VR) is transitioning from entertainment to a key tool in clinical and public health.
• VR applications in medicine include pain management, rehabilitation, and cognitive training, with potential for chronic disease management.
• Adapting evidence-based behavioral interventions for VR requires a structured approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Transcend Framework, a systematic model for translating behavioral interventions into VR.
• To provide a reproducible process for developing VR-based health interventions for research and clinical use.
• To illustrate the framework's application with Joviality™, a VR intervention for hemodialysis patients.

Main Methods:

• The Transcend Framework consists of five stages: population identification, VR curriculum adaptation, pre-production planning, previsualization and asset creation, and iterative VR development and testing.
• Emphasis on user-centered design, considering physical limitations, cognitive load, and accessibility.
• Incorporation of interactive, visually rich, modular, and gamified environments with culturally attuned content.

Main Results:

• The framework facilitates the development of usable, accessible, and engaging VR interventions.
• Interactive and gamified elements enhance learning and skill acquisition.
• Data-informed refinement ensures sustained user engagement and intervention effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• The Transcend Framework offers a practical roadmap for creating and optimizing VR-based behavioral health interventions.
• Immersive technology can significantly advance health education and promote behavior change.
• This approach enables scalable and equitable implementation of digital health solutions across clinical settings.