Research shows that many people with intellectual disability experience fear, discomfort, and anxiety in health care settings such as medical clinics and hospitals.
This project will test whether immersive virtual reality (VR) technology can be used to reduce fear, discomfort and anxiety of people with intellectual disability in health care settings. Based on our findings, we will create guidelines on how the technology can be used by health care professionals.
We hope our findings will help break down a significant barrier to people receiving the best possible health care.
Aims
This project aims to
- Design and develop an immersive VR application to prepare people with intellectual disability for healthcare interactions.
- Examine the impact of immersive VR exposure to reduce fear, anxiety, and discomfort in healthcare environments.
- Establish a design framework and set of best practices for VR use in healthcare settings.
What we will do
We will design and develop a VR application to prepare people with intellectual disability for healthcare interactions.
Using VR headsets, participants will engage in simulated healthcare interactions in a safe, controlled, and repeatable environment. Participants will be immersed in realistic scenarios, including checking-in, waiting, interacting with nurses, and consulting with a doctor.
We hope the simulations will allow patients to be better prepared and more relaxed for their health appointments.
Based on our observations, we will create guidelines on how to use VR to reduce fear, discomfort and anxiety of health care settings for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.
Why this project is needed
People with intellectual disability experience higher rates of mortality, preventable hospitalisations, and preventable deaths compared to the general population. People with intellectual disability have higher unmet health needs, and a lower uptake of preventative health services.
Our project proposes an innovative solution to reducing fear, discomfort and anxiety in health settings for people with intellectual disability.
Investigators
- Dr Stefan Michalski
- Professor Sylvia Gustin
- Dr Ali Darejeh
- Dr Rachael Cvejic
- Professor Julian Trollor
This project is funded by the UNSW Disability Innovation Institute and represents a collaborative effort across disciplines, combining expertise in clinical medicine, psychology, computer science, and engineering.
