Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2020 May;15(4):365-372. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2018.1549276. Epub 2019 Jan 13.
Technology devices and applications including virtual reality (VR) are increasingly used in healthcare research and practice as tools to promote health and wellbeing. However, there is limited research examining the potential for VR to enable improved communication for people with communication disability. To review: (a) current research using VR in speech-language pathology; and (b) the ethical and safety considerations of VR research, to inform an agenda for future research applying VR in the field of speech-language pathology. This review reveals that there is an emergent body of literature applying VR to improve or develop physical, psychological and communication interventions. Use of non-immersive virtual environments to provide speech-language pathology assessment or intervention for people with communication disability has demonstrated positive outcomes, with emerging evidence of the transfer of functional communication skills from virtual to real-world environments. However, the use of VR technology and immersive virtual environments in communication disability practice and research introduces safety and ethical issues that must be carefully considered. Research employing VR is in its infancy in the field of speech-language pathology. Early evidence from other healthcare disciplines suggests that VR is an engaging means of delivering immersive and interactive training to build functional skills that can be generalized to the real world. While the introduction of new technology requires careful consideration of research ethics and patient safety, future VR communication research could proceed safely with adequate engagement of interdisciplinary teams and technology specialists.Implications for rehabilitationImmersive virtual reality may be used in rehabilitation to simulate natural environments to practice and develop communication skills.The sense of immersion that can be achieved using virtual reality may promote the generalization of skills learnt during clinical rehabilitation to real-world situations.Ethical and safety considerations, including cybersecurity and cybersickness, must be carefully monitored during all virtual reality research.
技术设备和应用程序，包括虚拟现实（VR），越来越多地被用于医疗保健研究和实践中，作为促进健康和福祉的工具。然而，关于 VR 是否有可能改善沟通障碍者的沟通能力的研究有限。为了综述：(a) 当前在言语病理学中使用 VR 的研究；(b) VR 研究的伦理和安全考虑，为在言语病理学领域应用 VR 研究提供未来研究议程。这项综述表明，有越来越多的文献将 VR 应用于改善或开发物理、心理和沟通干预措施。使用非沉浸式虚拟环境为沟通障碍者提供言语病理学评估或干预已显示出积极的结果，并且有证据表明，功能性沟通技能从虚拟环境转移到现实世界环境。然而，在沟通障碍的实践和研究中使用 VR 技术和沉浸式虚拟环境会带来安全和伦理问题，必须仔细考虑。在言语病理学领域，使用 VR 的研究还处于起步阶段。来自其他医疗保健学科的早期证据表明，VR 是一种引人入胜的方法，可以提供沉浸式和互动式培训，以建立可以推广到现实世界的功能性技能。虽然新技术的引入需要仔细考虑研究伦理和患者安全问题，但只要有跨学科团队和技术专家的充分参与，未来的 VR 沟通研究就可以安全进行。康复的意义沉浸式虚拟现实可用于康复，以模拟自然环境，练习和发展沟通技能。使用虚拟现实可以实现的沉浸感可能会促进在临床康复期间学到的技能在现实世界情况下的泛化。在所有 VR 研究中，都必须仔细监测包括网络安全和网络晕动症在内的伦理和安全考虑因素。
