Feasibility of a Virtual Reality App to Promote Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Abstract

One of the major barriers to joining pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programs is a lack of awareness about its benefits, combined with overall skepticism about regular exercise among COPD patients. Empowering COPD patients with foundational knowledge about PR may potentially facilitate their decision to join a PR program. A virtual reality (VR) app may serve as an engaging and interactive means to deliver PR education; however, the feasibility of this approach in COPD patients is unknown. The goal of this project was to assess the feasibility of VR-based PR education in COPD patients. Using mixed methods design, the feasibility of the VR app was assessed by evaluating its usability, patient acceptance, and its impact on patient knowledge about PR. The results of the usability assessment showed high user acceptance of the VR system and the ability to successfully operate the VR appliances. The use of the VR education app resulted in a statistically significant increase in patient understanding of the main concepts of pulmonary rehabilitation. Further development and evaluation of VR-based systems for patient engagement and empowerment are warranted.