Immersive virtual reality intervention among patients receiving haemodialysis

This study will explore the impact of an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience for patients attending a north Queensland haemodialysis service and provide information to inform a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT). Over the 4-week (12 sessions) intervention period, participants undergoing haemodialysis 3 times/week with each session lasting approximately 4 hours at Townsville University Hospital in-centre dialysis unit and the satellite dialysis North Ward unit will be offered a headset with a choice of video. Each participant will have a headset for their own use for the duration of the intervention period. Infection prevention and control processes will be followed with respect to cleaning. Oculus Quest 2 is the headset that will be used in this study. This headset is cordless, without the need for any additional hardware. This maximizes safety within the clinical area where there is already a lot of equipment. Videos of the scenery of bushland, landscape, ocean representative of the areas where the participants come from will be offered. This intervention will be delivered by dialysis ward staff and members of the research team. Outcomes will be measured by participants’: attendance at scheduled dialysis sessions and adherence to lifestyle modifications; wellbeing, anxiety and depression; acceptability and usability of VR; cultural safety and adverse events such as nausea. The feasibility and acceptability of the equipment from the clinicians’ perspectives will also be explored. The control period will be four weeks duration and involve usual care, such as watching television, sleeping, reading. As this is a cross over trial the duration or 'wash out' period between treatments will be one week.