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Virtual Reality Within Palliative Care (VR-SPC)

NCT07109050 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 12

Last updated 2025-09-15

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Literature so far shows VR is largely acceptable and feasible to use in palliative care settings, especially for improving patient wellbeing and mental health. However, limited research exists for understanding the effectiveness of VR, especially if sessions are repeated or offered jointly with patient carers or companions. We aim to investigate the effectiveness of VR for achieving personally meaningful goals (including but not limited to relaxation, bucket-list activities, and improving wellbeing). This study will be offered to patients and their companions receiving palliative care at a hospice in England. Informed consent will be acquired after a participant information sheet has been shared with interested participants. Personal goals of VR use will be established at the start of the study with baseline mental health and wellbeing data collection. Up to 3 VR sessions will be offered.

Before and after each session patients will be asked to complete questionnaires to track wellbeing and progression towards intended goals for utilising VR. A change interview will occur between 1 to 4 weeks after the final VR session to discuss their overall experiences of VR and will include repeated follow up questionnaires. Participants that which to engage with a joint-VR intervention with their companion (referred to as participant companions for the purposes of this study), will also require informed consent and completion of questionnaires and interview attendance to be involved with this study.

Results will be gathered and analysed by creating anonymous individual rich case records and shared with a panel of independent psychologists to conclude whether or not, from our findings, virtual reality is effective for achieving personally important goals. Findings will be shared with the hospice involved and form a Doctoral Thesis based at the University of Lincoln.

Conditions

  • Palliative Care
  • Virtual Reality
  • Wellbeing

Interventions

DEVICE

VR Headset

VR will be offered on either an individual or joint-experience basis, whereby the participant(s) wear a VR headset with 360 degree views, to explore various VR experiences of their choice for up to 3 sessions on a weekly basis. Goals for using VR will be ascertained by completing the goal based measure with the patient who is accessing specialist palliative care. This will define the purpose of the VR intervention in future sessions. The participant will be shown a list of VR experience options so they are aware of these prior to the next session. Pre-VR and post-VR questionnaires will be completed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Lincoln

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-08-13
Primary Completion
2025-12-31
Completion
2026-02-28

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07109050 on ClinicalTrials.gov