Table 3.
Summary of included studies (full data charting table (Supplemental File 1)).
| Author(s), year of publication, origin | Aim/purpose | Methodology | Virtual reality description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brungardt, A., Wibben, A., Tompkins, A.F., Shanbhag, P., Coats, H., LaGasse, A.B., Boeldt, D., Youngwerth, J., Kutner, J.S. and Lum, H.D. (2021) ‘Virtual reality-based music therapy in palliative care: a pilot implementation trial’, Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24(5), 736–742. United States of America |
To evaluate implementation measures of feasibility, usability and acceptability of a VR-based music therapy (MT) intervention | A pilot implementation study of a 2-day VR–MT intervention using mixed methods | VR experience with sound and music Described as an intervention |
| Dang, M., Noreika, D., Ryu, S., Sima, A., Ashton, H., Ondris, B., Coley, F., Nestler, J. and Fabbro, E.D., (2021) ‘Feasibility of delivering an avatar-facilitated life review intervention for patients with cancer’, Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24(4), 520–526. United States of America |
To determine the feasibility of an avatar-based intervention for facilitating life review in patients with advanced cancer | Prospective trial to establish feasibility and acceptability of an avatar-based intervention for facilitating life review in patients with advanced cancer | An avatar-facilitated life review Described as an intervention |
| Ferguson, C., Shade, M.Y., Blaskewicz Boron, J., Lyden, E. and Manley, N.A. (2020) ‘Virtual reality for therapeutic recreation in dementia hospice care: a feasibility study’, American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 37(10), 809–815. United States of America |
To explore acceptability, tolerability and subjective experience of virtual reality (VR) as therapeutic recreation for hospice patients living with dementia | A feasibility study using descriptive design | VR experience Described as a therapeutic recreation |
| Johnson, T., Bauler, L., Vos, D., Hifko, A., Garg, P., Ahmed, M. and Raphelson, M. (2020) ‘Virtual reality use for symptom management in palliative care: a pilot study to assess user perceptions’, Journal of Palliative Medicine, 23(9), 1233–1238. United States of America |
To examine the utility of VR for palliative care patients | A prospective single-centre, single-arm study | VR experience Described as an intervention |
| Lloyd, A. and Haraldsdottir, E. (2021) ‘Virtual reality in hospice: improved patient well-being’, BMJ Support Palliative Care, 11(3), 344–350. Scotland |
To trial VR technology and consider what benefits may emerge for hospice inpatients | Qualitative exploratory study | VR session Described as a therapeutic intervention |
| Moscato, S., Sichi, V., Giannelli, A., Palumbo, P., Ostan, R., Varani, S., Pannuti, R. and Chiari, L. (2021) ‘Virtual reality in home palliative care: brief report on the effect on cancer-related symptomatology’, Frontiers in Psychology, 12 (709154). Italy |
To assess the effect of an immersive VR-based intervention conducted at home on anxiety, depression and pain over 4 days and to evaluate the short-term effect of VR sessions on cancer-related symptomatology | A mixed methods pre–post-single-arm study | VR-based intervention Described as an Intervention |
| Niki, K., Okamoto, Y., Maeda, I., Mori, I., Ishii, R., Matsuda, Y., Takagi, T. and Uejima, E. (2019) ‘A novel palliative care approach using virtual reality for improving various symptoms of terminal cancer patients: a preliminary prospective, multicenter study’, Journal of Palliative Medicine, 22(6), 702–707. Japan |
To verify whether simulated travel using virtual reality (VR travel) is efficacious in improving symptoms in terminal cancer patients | Prospective, multicentre, single-arm study | Simulated travel using VR Described as an intervention |
| Nwosu, A.C., Mills, M., Roughneen, S., Stanley, S., Chapman, L. and Mason, S.R. (2021) ‘Virtual reality in specialist palliative care: a feasibility study to enable clinical practice adoption’ BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 0, 1–5. United Kingdom |
To (a) explore the feasibility of implementing VR therapy, for patients and caregivers, in a hospital specialist inpatient palliative care unit and a hospice and (b) identify questions for organisations, to support VR adoption in palliative care | Quality improvement project | VR distraction therapy Described as a distraction therapy |
| Perna, L., Lund, S., White, N. and Minton, O. (2021) ‘The potential of personalized virtual reality in palliative care: a feasibility trial’, American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 38(12), 1488–1494. United Kingdom |
To understand the feasibility of repeated personalized virtual reality sessions in a palliative care population | A feasibility randomized controlled trial | Personalized and non-personalized VR, using an intervention and a control group Described as an intervention |
| Ryu, S. and Price, S.K. (2021) ‘Embodied storytelling and meaning-making at the end of life: VoicingHan avatar life-review for palliative care in cancer patients’, Arts & Health, 1–15. United States of America |
To present the qualitative analysis of the VoicingHan project based on the avatar videos which emerged as the artefacts of the feasibility study by Dang et al. (2021) | Retrospective qualitative analysis of avatar videos from an earlier feasibility study conducted by Dang et al. (2021) | An avatar-facilitated life review Described as an intervention |