Practical checklist for home-based VR rehabilitation research
1. Trial Set-up Phase
– Equipment provision
□ How many full sets of equipment will be required, considering;
→ What is the provisional budget for equipment?
→ How many participants can concurrently undertake the intervention?
□ What spare equipment is required in case of breakages?
→ e.g. monitors
□ Are additional items such as extension leads, surge protection, batteries, tape to secure leads, sanitising wipes, etc. required?
□ Has electrical or safety testing been carried out on the electrical equipment?
□ Has the equipment been security marked in case of theft – e.g. with Smartwater?
– Researcher/Therapist Training
□ What level of training will be required to deliver the intervention?
□ Who will deliver and monitor the training?
□ Will training also be required for assessments?
– Transportation
□ Are protective bags and/or boxes required to transport the equipment?
□ Will help be needed to load/unload equipment – e.g. trolleys, parking provision?
– Insurance
□ Do those transporting the equipment need business use on their car insurance?
□ Is the equipment insured for breakages or theft, during transport or while in the participant’s home?
□ Does insurance cover damage to the participant’s home?
2. Screening
In addition to study inclusion and exclusion criteria, the following factors may also need to be considered to determine participant suitability:
– Does the participant have the required resources at home? e.g.:
□ Are there tables, chairs, TV/monitor of appropriate size and height? Is there high-speed internet connection?
□ Is there sufficient free space to undertake the intervention activities?
□ What resources can be provided by the research team if required?
→ e.g. suitable chairs, chair risers, monitor risers, portable tables
□ Is there suitable access to the participant’s property?
→ e.g. parking, distance from parking to the home, stairs, lifts etc.
3. Equipment Set-up & Storage
Ensure equipment is left safe and secure and that the participant is consulted during the set-up process:
□ Have potential safety concerns been discussed with participant?
→ e.g. trip hazards, overuse
□ Have any electrical leads been secured so that they are not trailing?
□ Has appropriate equipment storage been discussed with the participant?
→ e.g. will they need to pack the equipment away when not in use, and will they be able to manage this unaided?
□ Is it appropriate for participants to sign documentation to confirm what equipment has been supplied?
4. Participant Training & Monitoring
– Participant support
□ Will accessible written instructions be helpful?
→ e.g. FAQ, what to do if problems occur
□ Is there a specific phone line that participants can call for help?
→ how will this be managed and by whom – e.g. five days a week, in usual work hours?
□ How should the researchers respond when issues are reported?
→ what additional technical support can be provided?
→ can spare equipment be provided in the event of faults or breakages?
→ what are the acceptable timeframes within which to respond to an issue?
→ how will researcher availability affect this? What is the potential impact of staff annual leave?
– Monitoring and data collection
□ Should field notes be taken on each participant visit?
→ e.g. to record any individual equipment set-up, visit duration, observed issues and how they were addressed
□ What is an acceptable schedule to monitor participant progress?
→ e.g. weekly or fortnightly phone calls and/or visits
□ Will any data recorded by the VR system need to be manually collected at specific intervals?
□ How will participant adherence be monitored?
→ e.g. will the participant need to self-report adherence or can this be recorded by the VR system?
□ How will participants be cued to recommended session durations with the intervention?
→ e.g. will the participant need to monitor time or can the VR system provide time prompts?