Wong Joey, Wong Karen Lok Yi, Kan Winnie, Wu Catherine, Upreti Mona, Van Mary, Temirova Alisha, Alfares Hadil, Wen Kayla, Sharma Vaishali, Wallsworth Christine, Mann Jim, Wong Lily, Hung Lillian
School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
UBC IDEA Lab, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Front Dement. 2024 Nov 15;3:1462946. doi: 10.3389/frdem.2024.1462946. eCollection 2024.
One emerging technology in long-term care (LTC) is virtual reality (VR), an innovative tool that uses head-mounted devices to provide the viewer with an immersive experience. It has been shown that VR has a positive impact on the well-being of residents living with dementia, and staff are essential in the implementation and sustainable use of technology. Currently, there is a lack of inclusion and focus on direct staff perspectives on VR implementation in LTC. This paper aims to report staff perspectives on VR adoption in a 2-year study on a virtual reality program at three Canadian LTC homes.
Our interdisciplinary team (clinicians, people living with dementia and family partners, trainees, and researchers) explored the facilitators and barriers to implementing VR in LTC, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and intersectionality supplemented CFIR. Twenty-one participants were recruited, including recreation staff, care aides, nurses, screeners, and leadership team members. The team collected data through staff interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observation field notes. Reflexive thematic analysis was performed to identify themes reporting the facilitators and barriers for VR implementation in LTC from staff perspectives.
The data analysis resulted in three facilitators and four barriers. Facilitators are (1) perceived VR benefits, (2) integrate VR into workflow and routines, and (3) partner with skillful VR champions. Barriers include (1) staff concerns about VR use, (2) financial burden and competing priorities, (3) lack of infrastructure and physical spaces, and (4) staff workload and limited leadership support.
This study contributes to the field with staff perspectives on facilitators and barriers to VR implementation. It underscores the rarely discussed aspects of VR implementation, such as funding prioritization and implementation timing. We offer practical strategies to inform future practices and research. Future studies should further explore long-term VR implementation, the involvement of family members as VR facilitators, and the use of VR in LTC.
长期护理（LTC）领域中一项新兴技术是虚拟现实（VR），这是一种创新工具，使用头戴式设备为观看者提供沉浸式体验。研究表明，VR对患有痴呆症的居民的幸福感有积极影响，而工作人员在技术的实施和可持续使用中至关重要。目前，在长期护理中实施VR时，缺乏对工作人员直接观点的纳入和关注。本文旨在报告在一项针对加拿大三个长期护理机构的虚拟现实项目的为期两年的研究中，工作人员对采用VR的看法。
我们的跨学科团队（临床医生、患有痴呆症的人和家庭伴侣、实习生和研究人员）在实施研究综合框架（CFIR）以及补充了交叉性的CFIR的指导下，探讨了在长期护理中实施VR的促进因素和障碍。招募了21名参与者，包括娱乐工作人员、护理助手、护士、筛查人员和领导团队成员。该团队通过工作人员访谈、焦点小组和人种学观察现场记录收集数据。进行了反思性主题分析，以从工作人员的角度确定报告长期护理中VR实施的促进因素和障碍的主题。
数据分析得出了三个促进因素和四个障碍。促进因素包括：（1）感知到的VR益处；（2）将VR融入工作流程和日常工作；（3）与熟练的VR支持者合作。障碍包括：（1）工作人员对使用VR的担忧；（2）财务负担和相互竞争的优先事项；（3）缺乏基础设施和物理空间；（4）工作人员工作量和有限的领导支持。
本研究从工作人员的角度为VR实施的促进因素和障碍这一领域做出了贡献。它强调了VR实施中很少讨论的方面，如资金优先级和实施时机。我们提供了实用策略，为未来的实践和研究提供参考。未来的研究应进一步探索VR的长期实施、家庭成员作为VR促进者的参与以及VR在长期护理中的使用。
