Jonathan R Abbas, Eric Gantwerker, Mark Volk, Tony Payton, Brendan A McGrath, Neil Tolley, Rachel Isba, Iain A Bruce
{"title":"Describing, Evaluating, and Exploring Barriers to Adoption of Virtual Reality: An International Modified Delphi Consensus Study Involving Clinicians, Educators, and Industry Professionals.","authors":"Jonathan R Abbas, Eric Gantwerker, Mark Volk, Tony Payton, Brendan A McGrath, Neil Tolley, Rachel Isba, Iain A Bruce","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0022","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the rising interest in extended reality technology, the literature base is rapidly growing. With this growth, confusion within the descriptive terminology, and incoherence in the methodological approach to training tool evaluation exists. Additionally, the development expectations of the health care worker, educator, and academic are not clear. This study aimed to work toward consensus agreement around four key areas of interest: (1) descriptive terminology (2) evaluation methodology (3) research outcome measure selection, and (4) barriers and facilitators to adoption of VR into health care education. This study was an international, electronic, Modified Delphi Consensus study, which ran over two rounds. Systematic literature review, ratified by a multidisciplinary study advisory group, and combined with Delphi round, one participant responses generated a total of 133 propositions across all areas of interest. In two rounds of a Delphi process, consensus was reached for a total of 102 propositions of which 49 were included, and 53 excluded, with the remaining 31 propositions not reaching consensus. Fifteen terms were deemed important when describing VR technology with 'virtual environment', 'interactive', and 'simulation' achieving the highest levels of agreement. There was almost unanimous agreement that technology should be described by its interplay between the hardware and software involved in a system and that educational outcome retention should be measured when evaluating VR training. High-cost was the most important prohibitive barrier to VR uptake with easy access to content and low maintenance effort being most attractive factors. This study represents a first step toward international consensus around how to describe VR technology, how to approach VR educational evaluation including selection of appropriate research outcome measures, the most important barriers to technology adoption and design considerations that facilitate technology adoption into health care education.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"202-214"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13390693/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna M Wiese, Jarrod Reisweber, Mark Lambert, James M Bjork
{"title":"Transcending Self Therapy-Virtual Reality (TST-VR) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Completion in Veterans.","authors":"Anna M Wiese, Jarrod Reisweber, Mark Lambert, James M Bjork","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0025","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0025","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transcending Self Therapy (TST) is an integrative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for substance use disorders (SUD). Virtual reality (VR)-based enhancement of treatment for mental health disorders holds potential as an innovative and immersive adjunct to standards of care. However, outside of cue-conditioning applications, how VR may assist SUD treatment is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the association between engagement with a VR version of TST and residential SUD treatment completion. In a program evaluation, 51 consecutive military veterans admitted to a residential SUD treatment program were afforded access to VR equipment programmed to enable <i>ad libitum</i> exploration of a virtual wooded retreat with stations that reinforced psychoeducation concepts of TST, meditation, and other therapeutic activities. Administrative records were reviewed, and treatment completion data were collected for veterans who opted to receive a TST-VR headset (<i>n</i> = 36) and those who did not (<i>n</i> = 15). Engagement with the VR gear and program was related to treatment completion. Veterans who opted to accept the VR program and related training in its use were significantly more likely to complete treatment than those who did not (86.1% vs 60.0%; <i>p</i> = 0.039). These data suggest that either VR-based reinforcement of TST concepts improved the treatment experience or motivation for change, and/or that individuals with poor general treatment motivation are unlikely to choose VR-enhancement of SUD treatment and complete treatment in general. Both possibilities have important implications for VR SUD treatment research.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"242-248"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11500627/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142515957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthew K Mitchell, Alexander W Burns, Sohail Mohammed, Eleni Balasalle, Blaire K Rikard, Samir Ghandour, Laura Avery, Min Lang, Raul Uppot
{"title":"Augmented Reality for Anatomy Training: Efficacy and Interest Among Medical Trainees.","authors":"Matthew K Mitchell, Alexander W Burns, Sohail Mohammed, Eleni Balasalle, Blaire K Rikard, Samir Ghandour, Laura Avery, Min Lang, Raul Uppot","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0006","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Augmented reality (AR) technology has steadily advanced since its inception, resulting in serious discussion of its utility in various fields, including medical education and training. In an attempt to address these questions, we conducted a prospective study at a U.S. medical school using an AR-based anatomy education software. Medical students in their preclinical years were invited to participate in the prospective study. Participants completed a presurvey that characterized familiarity with and interest in AR. Volunteers then engaged with three modules within the AR-based anatomy education software. After finishing the modules, participants completed a postsurvey regarding their experiences with and perceptions about AR. This study identified that less than half of medical students surveyed felt familiar with AR technology and its potential role within medical education prior to study exposure. A statistically significant difference was demonstrated between students' perceptions toward the use of AR in medical education prior to guided use when compared to students' perceptions after study exposure (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Users' sentiments, as gauged by postsurvey free responses, were largely in favor of AR as a supplement to existing wet lab dissections rather than as an outright replacement. This study demonstrated a potential use case for AR technology in the supplementation of traditional medical education methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"191-201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13390691/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole R DeTore, Oyenike Balogun-Mwangi, Elizabeth S Eberlin, Katherine N Dokholyan, Albert Rizzo, Daphne J Holt
{"title":"An Artificial Intelligence-Based Virtual Human Avatar Application to Assess the Mental Health of Health Care Professionals: A Validation Study.","authors":"Nicole R DeTore, Oyenike Balogun-Mwangi, Elizabeth S Eberlin, Katherine N Dokholyan, Albert Rizzo, Daphne J Holt","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0016","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many health care workers experience high levels of stress, mental health issues, and burnout, yet are less likely than most to seek mental health support. Given this challenge, non-stigmatizing approaches that promote access to assessments of mental health for this population are greatly needed to increase self-awareness and connection to care. Previous research has shown that when users engaged in dialog with a virtual human agent (VHA), they disclosed more information about their mental health compared with similar interactions with a live human or human-as-avatar assessor. An application called \"BeCalm\" was developed to conduct psychological assessments using conversational artificial intelligence and user interaction with a human-like VHA. BeCalm allows for both spoken and written \"chat\"-based communication. This pilot study aimed to measure the user experience, acceptability, and convergent validity of BeCalm. A cross-sectional, mixed-methods, one-arm study of BeCalm was conducted with 38 health care workers (mean age = 31.87, standard deviation = 11.28; 84% biologically female). Qualitative interviews indicated that the simulated interpersonal connection with the VHA was the most appealing aspect of BeCalm, with participants describing the VHA as warm and nonjudgmental. The second most highly rated aspect of the application was the information (resources, summary, and psychoeducation) provided at the end of the assessment. There was a range in levels of convergent validity between the BeCalm and conventional assessments across several symptom domains (<i>r</i>s = 0.101-0.766), with mood and occupational burnout assessed with the highest validity. Notably, spoken verbal interactions with the VHA elicited longer participant responses by an average of 60 characters compared with chat interactions. In summary, BeCalm can provide a valid mental health assessment and resources for an at-risk population through interactive technology and personalized feedback. BeCalm offers a user-friendly, scalable method for assessing health care workers' mental health that could lead to behavioral change.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"215-226"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13387219/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Psychological Underpinnings of Trust and Privacy Perception in the Medical Metaverse.","authors":"Susan Persky","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2023.0010","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2023.0010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The idea of a medical metaverse highlights the ways that immersive technologies will provide direct experiential access to the future of digital medicine, enabling clinical interactions, therapeutic treatment, and access to educational and support resources in persistent, multi-user, immersive digital environments. There are several points of tension, however, between the need for trust and privacy in the medical context and established norms and capabilities of the digital platforms on which health care is expected to increasingly take place. Considering trust and privacy experiences though a psychological lens, focused on tendencies, norms, and expectancies within digital environments can be instructive in considering these challenges. Here, the interface between human psychology and visions for the medical metaverse are discussed in the context of the environment, the self, interpersonal interactions, and group dynamics. Incorporating well-established psychological principles into user-centric design of future medical metaverse applications can enable us to take full advantage of emerging technological capabilities while building our digital interface with the future of medicine that is psychologically and ethically sound.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"186-190"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11512158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142515956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Helen Girin, Megan Armstrong, Kim A Bjorklund, Christopher Murphy, Julie B Samora, Jonathan Chang, Daniel J Scherzer, Henry Xiang
{"title":"Implementation of Virtual Reality Pain Alleviation Therapeutic into Routine Pediatric Clinical Care: Experiences and Perspectives of Stakeholders.","authors":"Helen Girin, Megan Armstrong, Kim A Bjorklund, Christopher Murphy, Julie B Samora, Jonathan Chang, Daniel J Scherzer, Henry Xiang","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0018","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Virtual reality (VR) needs to be implemented in clinical settings to improve pediatric patient care during painful medical procedures. Engaging doctors and nurses to lead the adoption of new clinical techniques can facilitate the transition from research to routine practice. Integrating VR into routine clinical practice could reduce patient pain and anxiety, making medical procedures smoother and more efficient. This feasibility pilot quality improvement (QI) project provides evidence for broader expansion and implementation of VR into different clinical areas. Medical providers (doctors and nurses) implemented VR during brief pediatric medical procedures and completed a demographics and feasibility survey. Qualitative feedback from semi-structured interviews indicated VR's ease of use and effectiveness in reducing anxiety and easing medical procedures. Patients (<i>n</i> = 30) played the VR game during either their medically necessary pin-pulling or needlestick procedures within three clinical environments. Children ranged from 5-16 years and were 50% male. The majority of patients reported enjoyment (mean 8.2 out of 10) with VR during the procedure, and only one minor technical issue was reported. Qualitative semi-structured interview data showed the benefits of using VR, including its ease of use, decreased observed anxiety, and patients having an easier time getting through the medical procedures. Feedback from medical providers regarding the dissemination of VR into pediatric clinical environments showed promising results. Standardized guidelines are needed to further implement VR pain alleviation into standard care in real-world clinical settings. This pilot study suggests that VR could be a valuable tool in pediatric pain management, warranting further research and broader clinical implementation.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"179-185"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11514146/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142550010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicholas Slamon, Odiraa Nwankwor, Kimberly Canter, Amanda Lewis, Anuradha Setlur, Jennifer Lutz
{"title":"Creation of a Virtual Reality Telesimulation Program in Response to Mandatory COVID-19 Social Distancing During the Pandemic: A Primer for Those considering VR Simulation and Application to a Group of Physicians Naive to Virtual Reality.","authors":"Nicholas Slamon, Odiraa Nwankwor, Kimberly Canter, Amanda Lewis, Anuradha Setlur, Jennifer Lutz","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0027","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the closure of traditional simulation centers, prompting innovative solutions for medical education. Drawing from prior studies, which advocated for telesimulation and virtual reality (VR) as alternatives, this article explores the development and implementation of VR simulation in medical training. Leveraging the Acadicus<sup>®</sup> VR platform, a VR simulation solution was created, enabling interactive scenarios simulating pediatric critical care situations. Thirty-one diverse scenarios were designed and executed over an 8-month period, involving pediatric and emergency medicine residents and fellows. The development process involved creating lifelike mannequins and dynamic cardiac waveforms, enhancing realism and spontaneity. Using VR headsets and streaming technology, participants engaged in immersive scenarios remotely. Performance evaluation used a modified version of the Tool for Resuscitation Assessment Using Computer Simulation, revealing comparable outcomes across different training levels and specialties. Participant feedback underscored the immersive nature of VR simulation, offering enhanced realism and in-depth debriefing opportunities compared with traditional mannequin-based simulation. However, limitations such as the lack of haptic feedback and the need for better integration with existing simulation center infrastructure were noted. Cost-effectiveness emerged as a significant advantage of VR simulation, with lower upfront costs compared with traditional simulation centers. VR simulation also demonstrated versatility in staging training across various hospital settings, offering a more comprehensive learning experience. Although acknowledging the need for further research to measure skill acquisition and retention, this study highlights the potential of VR simulation as an adjunctive modality in medical education.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"179-190"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11323998/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Korak Sarkar, Jeffrey Coote, Rahim Abdul, Alec Slayden
{"title":"Feasibility, Adoption, and Utility of Augmented Reality in Lumbar Puncture Simulation by Medical Students: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Korak Sarkar, Jeffrey Coote, Rahim Abdul, Alec Slayden","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0001","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The acquisition of procedural skills by medical trainees remains challenging, time-consuming, and risky. The use of augmented reality in the clinical setting is increasing because of its growing accessibility and potential to aid medical education and clinical care delivery.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study investigated the feasibility, adoption, and efficacy of augmented reality (AR)-supported lumbar puncture (LP) simulation for medical student training.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A randomized and controlled approach was used to assess the effect of AR-supported simulation training versus standard simulation training on the number of sticks for successful LP, distance of first puncture from the target, and the time to successful LP. Pre- and post-surveys were used to assess medical student satisfaction with AR-supported LP simulation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-four third-and fourth-year medical students were equally randomized into a AR-supported or control LP simulation groups. The median number of punctures required for a successful LP was 2 (interquartile range [IQR] 2) in the control group and 1 (IQR 2) in the AR group (<i>p</i> = 0.58). The median distance of the first puncture from the target was 5 mm (IQR 25) in the control group and 10 mm (IQR 18) in the AR group (<i>p</i> = 0.51). The median time to successful puncture was 137.9 s (IQR 283.1) in the control group and 93.8 s (IQR 117.7) in the AR group (<i>p</i> = 0.27). Confidence in performing LP on real patients on a 1-5 Likert scale improved from a median of 1 (IQR = 1) to 3 (IQR = 1, <i>p</i> < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>There was no statistically significant difference in the number of sticks, distance from the target, and the time to successful puncture between the AR and control groups. Significant improvements in confidence levels were reported after simulation training via a survey. Although most of this cohort had no previous exposure to AR, the majority expressed willingness and preference to use AR in the procedural simulation. Future studies would benefit from a multisite design for a larger sample, as well as the use of newer AR technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"191-202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13387223/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Cho, Alexandra Berman, John Edwin Rubin, Rohan Jotwani
{"title":"Perceptions and Attitudes on Medical Education Extended Reality Applications from a Single Anesthesiology Residency Program.","authors":"Daniel Cho, Alexandra Berman, John Edwin Rubin, Rohan Jotwani","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0015","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0015","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"174-178"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13387227/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katerina Jones, Megan Armstrong, John Luna, Rajan K Thakkar, Renata Fabia, Jonathan I Groner, Dana Noffsinger, Ai Ni, Bronwyn Griffin, Henry Xiang
{"title":"Age and Sex Differences of Virtual Reality Pain Alleviation Therapeutic During Pediatric Burn Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial.","authors":"Katerina Jones, Megan Armstrong, John Luna, Rajan K Thakkar, Renata Fabia, Jonathan I Groner, Dana Noffsinger, Ai Ni, Bronwyn Griffin, Henry Xiang","doi":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0004","DOIUrl":"10.1089/jmxr.2024.0004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Virtual reality (VR) effectively alleviates pain for pediatric patients during many medical procedures, such as venipuncture and burn care. In our previously published randomized clinical trial among 90 pediatric burn patients, participants in the active VR group had significantly lower scores for overall pain compared with participants in the standard care control and for worst pain compared with participants in the passive VR and control group. However, whether VR differs by a patient's age or sex remains unresolved. Thus, we reanalyzed our data by comparing the active and passive VR participants to evaluate how age and sex affect VR pain alleviation during dressing care for pediatric burns. In total, 90 patients aged 6-17 years (inclusive) with burn injuries were recruited from an outpatient burn clinic of an American Burn Association-verified pediatric burn center. Before randomization, VR helpfulness and need expectations were assessed on a visual analog scale (0-100). Participants were randomly assigned to active VR, passive VR, or control for one dressing change. Immediately following the dressing change, active and passive VR participants self-reported pain and the time spent thinking about pain and rated the VR features on the degree of realism, pleasure/fun, and perceived engagement level. Path analyses assessed how these VR features were interrelated and how they affected self-reported pain by age and sex. Patients aged 6-9 years reported higher mean expectations of VR helpfulness and need (mean = 73.6 and 94.5, respectively) than 10-12-year-olds (mean = 55.7 and 84.2, respectively) and 13-17-year-olds (mean = 68.6 and 77.4, respectively). The path analysis indicated VR engagement and fun were significantly correlated (<i>p-</i>value < 0.05). VR engagement significantly negatively impacted overall pain scores (coefficient = -0.45, -0.41; <i>p-</i>value < 0.05) and significantly positively impacted time thinking of pain (coefficient = 0.38, 0.32; <i>p-</i>value < 0.05). Younger patients had the highest expectations of VR helpfulness and need. VR game realism, fun, and engagement features were not statistically different between age groups and sexes. VR engagement and thinking of pain during burn dressing significantly positively affected self-reported pain (<i>p-</i>value < 0.05), suggesting an analgesic mechanism beyond distraction alone. Younger patients benefited more from VR than older patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":517437,"journal":{"name":"Journal of medical extended reality","volume":"1 1","pages":"163-173"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11290595/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141877259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}