Authors (including presenting author) :
Wong SK(1), Cheng WS(1), Chan YP(1), Chan YL (2), Tam KFS(3), Yau WS(3), Leung WLC(4), Cheng PH(5)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital, (2)Occupational Therapy Department, TWGHS Wong Tai Sin Hospital, (3)Department of Medicine, Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital, (4)Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, (5)Nursing Department, Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital
Introduction :
The main goal of palliative care is to improve quality of life in end-of-life care through a person’s physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs. However, past study indicated there was increased sense of loneliness and boredom on hospitalized patients in palliative care (Robinson et al., 2015). Studies had shown engaging leisure activities enhanced a person’s psychosocial well-being (Pressman et al., 2009). Occupational therapist has always focused on three main domains: self-care, work and leisure. Efforts had been put on improving and enhancing self-care in hospitalized palliative care patients. There is room to enhance patients’ leisure activity engagement in palliative care. Virtual reality has been widely applied in palliative care in recent years. It is a new technology providing immersive experience which overcomes limitation of environmental barriers and a person’s physical function in activity engagement.
Objectives :
To provide evaluation of experience after leisure activity engagement via virtual reality of hospitalized palliative care patients
Methodology :
Patients were selected through convenient sampling. Consents were obtained from patients of their willingness to participate. Demographic data was collected on participants’ diagnosis, age and gender. Participants were invited to experience virtual reality activity engagement (gardening and pet interaction) after being introduced the use of the technology. A post-activity self-designed questionnaire was obtained from participants through interview.
Result & Outcome :
5 participants (4 females and 1 male) were recruited and data was collected in Dec 2024. All participants were hospitalized patients from palliative care ward. The age ranged from 47 to 86 (mean: 63.2). A post-activity self-designed questionnaire containing 6 questions were interviewed to all participants with a 5-point scale from totally disagree to totally agree. Another open question was asked upon the participants on their comments after the experience. The result was encouraging. 100% participants agreed on the activity is interesting. 60% participants agreed that they were relaxed after the activity. 60% participants felt excited after the activity. 70% participants agreed their emotional well-being was improved after the activity. 80% participants agreed the activity was meaningful to them. 80% participants agreed that they enjoyed the activity. 80% participants were willing to join the activity again.
A more extensive study is recommended to further investigate the impacts on patients of virtual reality leisure activity engagement in the future.
