VR in Palliative Care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Placeful Nostalgia: Using Virtual Reality to Support Patient Storytelling in a Palliative Care Setting
IRAS ID
316628
Contact name
Kristian Pollock
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
000, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
This study will explore whether using virtual reality (VR), to facilitate memory recall through story-telling to create a legacy experience, can benefit patients receiving inpatient palliative care. Such individuals are often unable to leave their immediate environment due to their declining health.The study will be undertaken using inpatients in a specialist palliative care unit in Nottingham. Data is expected to be collection between July and August 2022. Participants will engage in a single virtual reality session that will enable them to have a very strong, immersive experience and using Google Earth VR they will be able visit any place they wish to go. During this they will narrate stories/memories from their past which we be recorded along with the video output of the VR device. Participants will keep this recording and share with others if they wish. Prior and following the VR session participants will complete the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System. Following the VR session participants will also complete an informal interview regarding their experience and perception of VR in this setting.
Summary of Results
The introduction of Virtual Reality into healthcare settings has steadily increased over the past few years. This project explored whether using Virtual Reality, to facilitate memory recall through story-telling to create a legacy experience, can benefit patients receiving inpatient palliative care. The study was undertaken at a specialist palliative care unit in the West Midlands in August 2022. The study design involved participants engaging in a single Virtual Reality session using Google Earth VR. This allowed participants to visit a familiar location of their choosing. During the Virtual Reality session, the participant narrated stories or memories which were recorded along with the video output of the Virtual Reality headset, the Oculus Quest 2. Participants were given the recording which they could share with others if they wished. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to assess this approach. Unfortunately, due to time limitations and the nature of palliative care, only one participant was recruited into the study. Quantitative measures, assessed using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System Revised, showed an improvement in the participant's physical symptoms following the Virtual Reality session. The participant found the experience to be very positive and rewarding, expressing gratitude to be able to revisit an important place and time in his life and create a personal legacy recording that they intended to share with their family. Although this project recruited only one participant, much was learnt that could direct future possible research in this challenging area, such as the need for researcher flexibility, longer data collection periods, and consideration of trialling less cognitively demanding Virtual Reality experiences.REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
22/WS/0108
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jul 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion