The impact of virtual reality on the psychological well-being of hospitalised patients: A critical review
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Date
2024
Authors
du Plessis, Jolize
Jordaan, Jacques
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐
Improving hospitalised patientsโ psychological well-being (PWB) is relevant to their recovery and overall quality of life. Virtual Reality (VR) holds the potential to emerge as a novel tool for increasing the PWB of hospitalised patients. This study critically reviewed existing research concerning the use and impact of VR on the PWB of hospitalised patients with serious illnesses. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and practical applicability of VR in enhancing the PWB for hospitalised patients dealing with serious illnesses.
๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐
In the initial search, the authors identified 106 sources that provided valuable insights into the broader field of VR, PWB, and the influence of VR on the psychological functioning of hospitalised patients. However, only eight articles were selected for the critical review, following the SALSA method. The SALSA method comprises the following steps: (S) Search, (AL) Appraisal, (S) Synthesis and (A) Analysis. Data extracted from these eight articles were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis, through which patterns were identified to examine the use and impact of VR on the PWB of hospitalised patients with serious illnesses. The thematic analysis process involves data gathering and familiarisation, code identification, and formulating and refining various themes to produce a thematic analysis report.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐
The themes that emerged from the analysis were (i) positive psychological effects (with sub-themes including the effectiveness of VR in improving psychological symptoms, its role as an equivalent or adjunctive treatment, and symptom reduction), (ii) perceptions and the adoption of novel technology, (iii) characteristics that influence the effectiveness of VR, and (iv) statistical and practical applicability and diversity of VR.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The use of VR to increase the PWB of hospitalised patients is a relatively recent innovation. Nevertheless, the themes identified in this study indicate that the use of VR within the context of hospitalised patients can benefit their psychological functioning, ultimately contributing to an improvement in their overall PWB. Further in-depth studies are needed to provide a comprehensive conclusion on the potential benefits of VR on the PWB of hospitalised patients dealing with serious illnesses.
Description
Keywords
virtual reality, psychological well-being, hospitalised patients, serious illness, critical review, SALSA method
Citation
du Plessis, J., & Jordaan, J. (2024). The impact of virtual reality on the psychological well-being of hospitalised patients: a critical review. Heliyon. 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24831