Incorporating Patient Feedback to Develop Social VR for Older Adult Trauma Patients

Overview

This study presents the initial phase of developing a social virtual reality (SVR) platform tailored for older adult trauma patients in hospitals. Using a user-centered, iterative design process, patient feedback was gathered to refine virtual environments aimed at enhancing social connection and addressing pain and isolation during hospitalization.

Background

Older adults (65+) constitute over 25% of trauma admissions in the U.S., with this proportion expected to rise significantly by 2050. These patients often experience moderate-to-severe pain commonly managed with opioids, which carry substantial risks. Social isolation further exacerbates health outcomes, including psychological distress and impaired recovery. Social virtual reality (SVR) offers a promising nonpharmacological approach by enabling meaningful social interactions that may reduce pain and loneliness.

Data Highlights

The study utilized Meta Quest 2 standalone VR headsets to test various virtual environments including vTime XR, Google Earth, YouTube, and Spatial. These environments were selected based on criteria such as networked connectivity, seated usability, and privacy options to facilitate social interaction without exposure to strangers. Phase 1 focused on collecting qualitative patient feedback to guide environment development rather than formal feasibility or usability metrics.

Key Findings

• Older adult trauma patients provided valuable feedback on VR environments to tailor social virtual reality experiences to their needs.
• Selected VR platforms supported seated use and private social interactions, critical for hospital settings.
• Social presence in VR can enhance feelings of connection and potentially reduce pain perception and social isolation.
• Patients experienced the virtual environments alone in Phase 1 but considered feasibility of social use with friends or family.
• Previous research supports VR’s benefits in reducing loneliness, depression, and improving well-being among older adults.

Clinical Implications

Incorporating patient feedback is essential to develop SVR platforms that are acceptable and usable for older adult trauma patients. SVR may serve as a nonpharmacological adjunct to pain management and mitigate social isolation during hospitalization. Clinicians should consider integrating immersive social technologies to support holistic care addressing physical and psychosocial needs.

Conclusion

This initial phase demonstrates the feasibility of using patient-centered design to develop SVR environments tailored for older adult trauma patients. Future phases will assess usability, acceptability, and clinical impact of social VR interventions in hospital settings.

References

1. Campbell et al. 2020 -- Social VR vs Videoconferencing
2. Kenyon et al. 2021 -- SVR Reduces Loneliness During Pandemic
3. Meta Quest 2 Product Information