Virtual reality (VR) is the ability to interact with an object or environment digitally recreated, which simulates the real-world experience. The technology is often applied in healthcare settings to aid the movement of patients in rehabilitation or to provide an opportunity for relaxation and distraction during medical procedures. But, VR is in its initial stages of usage and adoption within the practice of medicine. In this article, we provide a scoping review of the existing literature, identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation of VR in healthcare settings.
The majority of the obstacles identified in this study were related to the adopter system and organizational categories of the NASSS framework, especially the needs of healthcare providers virtual technology review for education and training in VR, the lack of research and evidence regarding the value of VR in the treatment context and the perceived lack of self-efficacy and confidence to apply and use VR in the course of patient care. A number of studies suggested the use of behavioral change techniques such as education and training, or intervision groups to support the clinicians in their decision-making processes regarding VR use.
Facilitators were less often identified, such as the young patient’s age, which could be more open to new technologies and feel more comfortable with it or the fact that VR could create an immersive and interactive learning environment that stimulates the senses as well as fostering greater understanding of complex scientific concepts. VR’s ability of re-creating real-world scenarios, such as the surface or structure of atoms, makes it an effective educational tool that allows students to investigate and experiment with abstract and complex concepts.