Use of virtual reality in the inpatient rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry
; 71: 76-81, 2021.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1219479
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Use of virtual reality (VR) in healthcare has expanded in recent years. The challenges faced by patients with prolonged COVID-19-related hospitalizations - social isolation, disability, neurologic sequelae, adjustment-related anxiety, depression, and stress - may be mitigated by the novel use of VR as one modality of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. This descriptive study aimed to understand patient satisfaction and perceived benefit of virtual reality on a COVID-19 recovery unit, as well as the logistical and operational feasibility of providing VR content for patients and staff. MATERIALS ANDMETHODS:
During the COVID-19 surge in New York City in 2020, the COVID-19 Recovery Unit (CRU) of a large academic hospital invited patients and staff to participate in VR sessions with three categories of experience (1) Guided meditation, (2) Exploration of natural environments, (3) Cognitive stimulation games. Patients and staff were surveyed about satisfaction and perceived benefit.RESULTS:
13 patients and 11 staff were surveyed, with median patient satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10, with ten representing "extremely satisfied," and median staff satisfaction scores of 10. 13/13 patients answered "yes" to recommending the therapy to others, and 12/13 answered "yes" to perceived enhancement of their treatment. 11/11 staff answered "yes" to recommending the therapy to others, and 11/11 answered "yes" to perceived enhancement of their wellbeing.DISCUSSION:
A VR program implemented on a COVID-19 rehabilitation unit for patients and healthcare providers was rated as highly satisfactory with perceived benefit by survey respondents. Participants commented that the use of VR was useful in coping with isolation and loneliness, and could be implemented within the context of clinical care for COVID-19 patients as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation model. The use of VR was also logistically and operationally feasible on the CRU. Future work to compare benefits of VR to standard neuropsychological rehabilitation is needed.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Anxiety
/
Social Isolation
/
Stress, Psychological
/
Patient Satisfaction
/
Depression
/
Virtual Reality
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Traditional medicine
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Gen Hosp Psychiatry
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
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