Woo Olive K L
Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Front Med Technol. 2023 Oct 2;5:1268662. doi: 10.3389/fmedt.2023.1268662. eCollection 2023.
Fully immersive virtual reality (VR) is an advanced technology increasingly studied and used in palliative care for symptom management. While the findings shed a positive light on its therapeutic potential, VR carries adverse effects, leading to ethical concerns. Based on the clinical experiences of a registered clinical psychologist who is also a certified thanatologist, we put forward a perspective on the importance of professional training for VR therapists in view of the possible risks posed by VR in palliative care. We propose professional trainings on knowledge, skills, and attitudes to ensure patients' safety while maximizing the therapeutic benefits of VR. Given the scarcity of reports on such an area, we hope this perspective article opens up discussions and contributes to current understanding and emerging future directions to ensure quality and ethical delivery of VR in palliative care.
全沉浸式虚拟现实（VR）是一种先进技术，在姑息治疗的症状管理中得到越来越多的研究和应用。虽然研究结果揭示了其治疗潜力的积极一面，但VR也有不良影响，引发了伦理问题。基于一位注册临床心理学家（同时也是认证临终关怀专家）的临床经验，鉴于VR在姑息治疗中可能带来的风险，我们提出了关于VR治疗师专业培训重要性的观点。我们建议开展关于知识、技能和态度的专业培训，以确保患者安全，同时最大程度发挥VR的治疗益处。鉴于该领域的报告稀缺，我们希望这篇观点文章能开启讨论，并有助于当前的理解以及未来新方向的探索，以确保在姑息治疗中高质量且符合伦理地应用VR。
