Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Educational Program for Mindfulness and Emotional Management for Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Abstract Objective The main objective was to evaluate the impact of an 8-week virtual reality (VR) based educational program teaching mindfulness and emotional management techniques to healthcare professionals. Methods Eighty-six healthcare professionals from two primary care centers and a palliative care team engaged in weekly 10-15 minute VR educational sessions. The sessions focused on teaching mindfulness techniques and emotional management tools. Burnout and work engagement levels were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) pre- and post-intervention. Results Post-intervention data analysis revealed statistically significant reductions in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, as well as enhancements in personal accomplishment, vigor, dedication, and absorption. Notably, professionals who exhibited elevated levels of work-related stress at baseline derived the most benefit from the educational content. Conclusions The results emphasize the potential of employing VR as a medium to deliver educational content centered on mindfulness and emotional management, especially in the context of alleviating burnout among healthcare professionals. Such positive outcomes underscore the importance of investments in these programs, suggesting that they can contribute to superior patient outcomes and heightened service quality by reinforcing the emotional resilience of healthcare providers. To further comprehend the distinct advantages of VR in educational scenarios and ensure that all participants can avail its benefits, future research should contemplate more intricate experimental designs.