Virtual Reality Therapy to Improve Physical and Psychological Symptoms and Quality of Life for End-of-life Patients on a Palliative Care Unit
End-of-Life, Physical Suffering, Psychological Distress
About this trial
This is an interventional other trial for End-of-Life focused on measuring Palliative Care, Symptom management, Virtual Reality
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Admitted to Baycrest PCU
- Capable to consent to the study
- Able to complete the outcome measures through a telephone interview with a research assistant
- Estimated prognosis ≥3 weeks
- At least 2 or more ESAS scores of 4 or greater within the week of the intervention
- English speaking
Exclusion Criteria:
- Intractable nausea/vomiting
- History of seizures or epilepsy
- Vision and/or hearing impairment that cannot be accommodated e.g. pocket talker
- Any abnormalities of the head preventing use of the headset
- Patients who are too unwell to participate based on the opinion of the clinical team
Sites / Locations
- Baycrest Health SciencesRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Experimental
Active Comparator
Standardized Virtual Reality
Personalized Virtual Reality
Two-Dimensional Video
Participants in the standard virtual reality (VR) group will choose from the general library of VR experiences. Participants will be asked to select an experience they desire but have never experienced in person. The session will be facilitated by the therapeutic recreation staff on the unit.
There are two types of personalized VR: 1) Family/friends provide personalized content (e.g., life stories, photos, videos) that will be used during the VR session. Family/friends of participants in the personalized VR group will have the opportunity to upload custom photos, videos, life stories or capture their own 360° footage of family events using a GoPro camera that will be loaned to them for the study. This content will be uploaded to a cloud-based portal. 2) If the family/friends of those in the personalized VR arm are unavailable/unable/unwilling to provide personalized content the participant will select a video from the VR library of an experience that is personally memorable to them, such as their childhood hometown, a favourite vacation destination. The session will be facilitated by the therapeutic recreation staff on the unit.
Participants in the active comparator group will choose a two-dimensional video such as a mountain view, ocean view or safari. Participants will view the two-dimensional video on an iPad and the session will be facilitated by the therapeutic recreation staff on the unit.