Patients' experiences with using virtual reality for comfort during source isolation: a qualitative feasibility study

Source-isolated patients endure feelings of loneliness, discomfort, and imprisonment with sensory deprivation and loss of autonomy. Supporting self-comforting strategies can increase comfort and autonomy and promote participation in recovery. We aim to explore whether and how source-isolated patients use virtual reality (VR) for self-comfort.

A qualitative interview study, including a cohort of source-isolated patients. Patients received an VR intervention encompassing applications for relaxation and distraction and physical exercise during a maximum of 5 days. Patients were instructed using VR at least once a day for 20-30 minutes. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted after the intervention period or before discharge. Predefined topics were self-comforting strategies and patients overall experiences. Coding was guided by predefined topics, complemented with inductive coding of patients' overall experiences.

Twenty patients were eligible, of whom two were excluded and eight declined participation. Ten patients, median (range) age of 56 (40-88) years, used VR for two to five days during a median isolation time of seven days. Beside the predefined self-comforting strategies two additional main topics emerged: "influencing factors on VR use" and "added value of VR". VR was perceived to enhance positive thinking, mental distraction, active involvement, adaptation to limitations, and physical exercise. Soft- and hardware characteristics, access to the VR headset, patient characteristics, and ward environment may influence the perceived usability of VR. Perceived benefits of VR included promoting physical activity and providing an 'escape' from the hospital environment.

VR has the potential to support patients' comfort during hospitalization and may offer opportunities for greater autonomy by enabling patients to actively manage own physical and psychological comfort.