VR Distraction for pain management in wound care: prospective observational study

Assess whether the DHIs are cost-effective, whether the organization and DH users can afford the DHI system, and whether there is a probable return on investment. It refers to the utilization of healthcare resources.

Supplement

SyncVR Medical

*Notes: We initiated the whole project.

Step-by-step

Step 1: identify evaluation objective and target audience

Objective 1: to improve design, development, and implementation (designers).
Objective 2: to achieve evidence-based clinical usage, and increase adoption and uptake (end-users).

Step 2: determine the maturity stage of intervention

Effectiveness phase: assess whether the digital health intervention achieves the intended results in a non-research or uncontrolled setting.

Step 3: Select the appropriate influencing factors or evaluation indicators

Inputs: behavioural determinants
Outcomes: emotional, perceptual, behavioural, and clinical outcomes.

Step 4: Consider the timing of evaluation and data collection

before, during, and after intervention.
immediate and momentary evaluation.

Step 5: Determine study design, data collection and analysis methods

Study design: qualitative and quantitative, prospective before-and-after observational study.
Data collection: end-users' evaluation, questionnaires.
Data analysis: quantitative analysis.

Step 6: Report your evaluation results, theoretical and practical implications

Evaluation reports: published protocol, plan to write conference and journal papers.
Theoretical and practical implications: designers (what has to be improved and how regarding the VR distraction in wound care), end-users (shall we start or continue using the VR distraction in wound care).

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Materials

Main activities

Team building, group discussions, research objectives, study design, sample size calculation, apply for the ethic approval, recruit participants, data collection, data analysis, write reports…

Stakeholders

Design researchers, medical researchers, clients (VR company managers), statistic experts, the medical ethics committee, nurses, patients, and investigators.

Deliverables

Introduction video, research protocol, informed consent, information letter, questionnaires.

Challenges

Dealing with documentation (ethic approval), Attuning to restrictions (time delay, human resources), Reaching agreements (responsibility, data analysis), Involving end-users (recruit patients), Managing relations (team work).

Strategies

Embrace uncertainty and multitasking, clarify work distributions, and take more responsibility.