Acceptance of Virtual Reality Among Adults with Rheumatologic Conditions

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Medical Education
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Communicating health risks to rheumatology patients is challenging.
• Virtual reality (VR) shows promise for patient education, but its acceptance for risk communication is understudied.
• Understanding user acceptance is crucial for implementing VR in rheumatologic care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability of VR as an educational tool for patients with rheumatologic conditions.
• To compare VR acceptability between patients with prior VR experience and those without (VR naïve).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, web-based survey was distributed to patients in a rheumatology research network.
• The survey collected data on demographics, clinical characteristics, prior VR use, perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and willingness to use VR for disease management.
• 3927 individuals completed the survey, including members of an online patient research network and a community rheumatology practice-based research network.

Main Results:

• 14.9% of participants had prior VR experience, mostly limited (1-2 uses).
• VR usefulness (29%) and enjoyment (38.9%) were perceived higher by experienced users (49% and 59.7% respectively) compared to VR naïve users (25.4% and 35.3%).
• A significant majority (86%) expressed willingness to use VR for disease management, irrespective of prior experience.

Conclusions:

• Patients with rheumatologic conditions, including those new to VR, demonstrate acceptance of VR for managing their condition.
• Findings support further investigation into VR interventions for patient education and disease management in rheumatology.
• VR holds potential as a valuable tool for enhancing rheumatologic patient care and education.