Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality Interventions on Symptom Management in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials - Summary - MDSpire
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Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality Interventions on Symptom Management in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
To comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (IVR) interventions for symptom management in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, focusing on anxiety, pain, and other relevant indicators.
Approach:
Design: The meta-analysis was conducted according to the PRISMA 2020 statement and registered in the PROSPERO database.
Search Strategy: A systematic search was conducted across 12 databases and 1 gray literature source, covering various medical and scientific databases.
Key Findings:
Gastrointestinal cancers account for a significant portion of cancer-related morbidity and mortality.
Patients with gastrointestinal cancer often experience both physical pain and psychological distress.
Existing interventions typically target either physical or psychological symptoms, with limited integrated approaches.
Preliminary studies suggest IVR may reduce anxiety and pain, improve quality of life, and shorten hospital stays.
Interpretation:
The findings aim to provide evidence-based guidance for implementing IVR in clinical practice and inform future research designs.
Limitations:
Existing systematic reviews include heterogeneous cancer populations without stratification by tumor type.
There is substantial variability in intervention protocols across studies.
Lack of in-depth analysis of moderating factors such as intervention timing and session duration.
Conclusion:
The systematic review and meta-analysis seeks to fill the gap in high-quality evaluations of IVR for gastrointestinal cancer symptom management.
