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. 2017 Dec 19;19(12):e419. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7467

Table 2.

Distribution of positive beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions toward virtual reality in Facebook comments posted in response to the video.


Positive theme of Facebook comment identified through qualitative analysis
Value (N=1197b), n (%)
General uses (N=934)

Interest in VRatechnology (N=754)


General interest 665 (55.56)


Positive use of technology 80 (6.68)


Better than TV or movies 9 (0.75)

Desire for personal use and to share with others (N=180)


General personal use 61 (5.09)


Interest in trying VR 49 (4.09)


Wishes that they had VR in previous hospital stay 39 (3.26)


Wishes that they had VR for friend and family members in hospital 31 (2.59)
Specific health care uses (N=263)

Lack of mobility (N=153)


Distract from boredom, encourage mental stimulation 60 (5.01)


Long-term hospital stays 30 (2.51)


Elderly patients who cannot move or travel 25 (2.09)


Children in hospital 15 (1.25)


Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation 9 (0.75)


Patients undergoing scans/imaging 8 (0.67)


People who are wheelchair-bound 3 (0.25)


Encourage movement 3 (0.25)

Pain (N=42)  


Labor delivery (acute) 15 (1.25)


Dentistry (acute) 13 (1.09)


Chronic pain (chronic) 11 (0.92)


Burns (acute) 2 (0.17)


Dialysis (acute) 1 (0.08)

Mental health (N=31)  


Stress 14 (1.17)


Anxiety 10 (0.84)


Depression 7 (0.58)

Treatment and rehabilitation (N=19)  


General rehabilitation 13 (1.09)


Adjunct to other therapies 6 (0.50)

Drugs (N=18)  


Adjunct to other drugs 11 (0.92)


Reduces the need for drugs 7 (0.58)

aVR: virtual reality.

bTotal does not add up to 100% due to multiple codes per Facebook comment and rounding.