None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Patients recovering from heart surgery in the ICU often experience high stress, anxiety, and confusion, which can lead to lasting psychological effects like PTSD or depression. While medications are commonly used, they can have side effects and may not be fully effective, prompting interest in non-drug approaches such as music or guided imagery. Virtual Reality (VR) offers an immersive and calming experience and has shown promise in reducing anxiety in healthcare settings, but its structured use in ICUs remains limited. This Australian study will be the first to prospectively test an interactive, gamified VR program for heart surgery patients in the ICU. It will evaluate the intervention’s safety, effectiveness, usability, and acceptability from both patients and staff, with findings to be published and shared widely.
Interventions
Gamified and interactive Virtual Reality (VR) will be compared to a sham in a randomised controlled trial.
Patients will be recruited once they are extubated, able to provide informed consent, and suitable to participate in the VR intervention.
Experimental group: Participants will receive up to three VR sessions per day for a maximum of four consecutive ICU days, commencing within 48 hours post-extubation. Each VR session will last approximately 20 minutes.
Equipment: Sessions will be delivered
Gamified and interactive Virtual Reality (VR) will be compared to a sham in a randomised controlled trial. Patients will be recruited once they are extubated, able to provide informed consent, and suitable to participate in the VR intervention. Experimental group: Participants will receive up to three VR sessions per day for a maximum of four consecutive ICU days, commencing within 48 hours post-extubation. Each VR session will last approximately 20 minutes. Equipment: Sessions will be delivered using the Pico 4 Enterprise VR headset with noise-isolating earphones. Content: Each session will feature (1) passive visual scenes with audio, (2) narrative-guided experience, and (3) light interactive experience (They will be able to engage with objects, activate scenes, complete puzzle challenges, and move through the story at their own pace, becoming active participants in the narrative). Training/instructions: A short verbal orientation (5 minutes) will be provided immediately before the first VR session by a trained research assistant or ICU nurse, explaining how to use the VR headset and earphones. Supervision: All VR sessions will be supervised by a research assistant or ICU nurse, who will assist as required and remove the device if the participant wishes to discontinue. Choice of content: Participants will be able to choose among the available VR modules at each session ( on what suits them best, depending on their mental state, energy level, or mood that day). Adherence monitoring: Adherence will be monitored via study logs and device usage analytics (session duration and frequency).
Sponsors
Epworth Hospital
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
• Adults aged 18–80 years. • Undergoing elective cardiac surgery (e.g., CABG, valve replacement or repair, combined). • Admitted to ICU post-operatively and expected to remain for greater than or equal to 48 hours. • Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) of -1 to +1 at enrolment. • Fluent in English • Able to provide informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
Neurological or psychiatric illness. Claustrophobia, agoraphobia. Hearing or vision impairment. GCS <10. Non-English speaking. Anticipated ICU stay <48 hours. Refusal to participate.
Outcome results
None listed