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Virtual Reality for End-of-Life Care

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Catherine Mann, EdD

Research Sponsored by State University of New York at Buffalo

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Patients who are hospice care eligible as defined by the Medicare Hospice benefit and receive hospice or palliative care from Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo.

Must not have

They are not 18 years old.

Their Palliative Performance Score (PPS) is below 30.

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up two weeks

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial aims to see if personalized virtual reality experiences can help reduce symptoms in hospice-eligible patients. Participants will use VR headsets to visit places they enjoy, which may help them feel better. The study will compare symptom severity over time. Virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly used in palliative care to help alleviate symptoms such as pain and anxiety, and to improve emotional well-being.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for hospice-eligible patients receiving care from Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo. Participants must be cognitively intact, have a Palliative Performance Score (PPS) of 30 or above, and not suffer from severe hearing, vision, speech impairments, dizziness, nausea, headaches, migraines seizures or motion sickness. They must speak English and be at least 18 years old.

What is being tested?

The study tests how personalized virtual reality experiences affect symptom severity in end-of-life conditions. It measures changes in symptoms before and after VR sessions as well as the sense of presence within VR to see if it's linked to symptom relief.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this intervention involves virtual reality experiences rather than medication or invasive procedures, typical side effects may include temporary discomfort like dizziness or nausea during VR use.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I am eligible for hospice care and receiving it from Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I am under 18 years old.

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My ability to care for myself is severely limited.

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I have uncorrected issues with my hearing, vision, or speech.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ two weeks

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~two weeks

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and two weeks for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Edmonton Symptom Assessment System - Revised (ESAS)

Secondary study objectives

igroup presence questionnaire (IPQ)

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Single-Arm Open PilotExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Pre- Post-intervention design. The intervention that participants will be experiencing is personalized virtual reality experiences. The content of this experience will be determined at the initial visit during which the participant will complete a preference questionnaire which identifies the location they want to "go" to. These experiences will be filmed on the insta360 One R camera by the research coordinator. Each experience will be approximately 20 minutes. To view the videos participants will wear the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset.

0 / 4Eligibility criteria met