The Experience of Using Virtual Reality in ABI Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundAfter an acquired brain injury (ABI), people can have difficulty completing activities of daily living (ADL). The Saebo-VR is a virtual reality (VR) device designed for people with ABI to improve ADL function. To understand how the Saebo-VR can be implemented clinically, it is important to explore the experiences of people using the device, including occupational therapists who implement VR and participants with ABI who use VR.PurposeTo understand the experience of using and implementing VR clinically.MethodWe conducted semi-structured interviews with clinicians who implemented and participants with ABI who received the VR intervention as a part of an implementation study. Themes were developed using reflexive thematic analysis.FindingsFive OTs (mean age 37.8, 5 female) and 15 participants with ABI (mean age 46.5, 10 male) were recruited. Three themes were developed: "every little thing helps," "moving forward in practice," and "encountering the limits of VR." Considerations to implement VR in clinical practice were developed.ConclusionThese findings may help better understand participant experiences to facilitate the implementation of VR in clinical settings.