None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The overall objective is to test the efficacy of co-designed immersive virtual reality-based nature exposure to reduce psychological distress for inpatients in hospital rehabilitation, and understand how this might be implemented and adopted in a clinical setting. We propose a fully powered randomised controlled trial and process evaluation. We hypothesise that exposure to the virtual nature will significantly reduce symptoms of psychological distress compared with the control group which will complete standard care (with no or extremely limited access to nature).
Interventions
Immersive virtual reality-based nature exposure. Using a fully immersive virtual reality headset, 360 videos of significant local natural locations are displayed to patients in hospital inpatient rehabilitation, with the aim of reducing psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety). The local nature is a mixture of green and blue spaces, with audio input. In the virtual world, the patient is at a fixed location, which changes every 30 seconds to 1 minute (pending a co-design process a
Immersive virtual reality-based nature exposure. Using a fully immersive virtual reality headset, 360 videos of significant local natural locations are displayed to patients in hospital inpatient rehabilitation, with the aim of reducing psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety). The local nature is a mixture of green and blue spaces, with audio input. In the virtual world, the patient is at a fixed location, which changes every 30 seconds to 1 minute (pending a co-design process and feedback from focus groups of consumer representatives). There will be scope for patients to choose from available locations to visit during the intervention phase. Adherence will be gauged by usage which will be the patients choice each day. A research nurse assists the patient to put on the headset and start the videos, which are around 4 minutes long (pending a co-design process and feedback from focus groups of consumer representatives). The patient does this once each weekday for 2 weeks, at a quiet and suitable location within the hospital ward. Therefore, the patient can also participate in their standard care (see description in control treatment below).
Sponsors
Griffith University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1) Aged 18 and over. 2) Ability to provide informed consent and comprehend the iVR task requirements (University of California Brief Assessment of Capacity to Consent (UCBACC)). 3) Inpatient on the relevant hospital wards 4) Clinically stable (i.e., ready for rehabilitation) as judged by attending clinician. 5) Communication skills sufficient to participate in surveys and report their subjective experiences. 6) Expected discharge date of minimum 2 weeks.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria for patients 1) Cognitive or emotional instability including delirium, confusion, disorientation, mania; to be assessed by a clinician prior to each stage of research (i.e., PICF, VR testing, and control survey collection). 2) Fever, dry cough, and other COVID symptoms. 3) Familial or personal history of epilepsy, photosensitive epilepsy, or seizures.
Outcome results
None listed