Feasibility and Experiences of Using Virtual Reality in a Rehabilitation Program for Breast Cancer Patients: A Phenomenological Study (Preprint)

Abstract

Surgery is an essential treatment for early breast cancer. However, the management of side effects after breast cancer surgery, such as arm dysfunction and lymphedema, remains a cause for concern. Rehabilitation exercises for such side effects should be initiated within 24 hours after surgery. Virtual reality (VR) can assist the process of rehabilitation; however, the feasibility and experiences of applying VR for rehabilitation must be explored.

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of developing a VR rehabilitation system for patients with breast cancer and the potential accessibility of such a system. In addition, this study explored patients’ attitudes toward and experiences of using VR for their rehabilitation.

A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted from September to December 2021. Eighteen patients with breast cancer who had undergone surgical treatment were interviewed using open-ended questions. Colaizzi’s seven-step procedure for phenomenological analysis was employed for data analysis. To ensure high study reliability, this study followed Guba and Lincoln’s quality criteria for trustworthiness.

Four themes were identified: (1) increased recognition on rehabilitation exercises, (2) positive support through real-time interaction, (3) Inspired motivation to engage in early rehabilitation exercises, and (4) challenges of extensive VR use to be overcome. Most of the interviewed patients reported positive experiences using VR for rehabilitation. Specifically, they were able to understand appropriate motion and angle limits while exercising, and they reported perceiving moral support and enjoying good company when using the system. In addition, the gamified nature of the system apparently made VR-based rehabilitation more engaging than traditional rehabilitation. However, the high cost of VR equipment makes VR-based rehabilitation difficult to perform at home.

The interviewed patients with breast cancer had positive experiences in using VR for rehabilitation. High costs of both VR equipment and software development present an application challenge for VR-based rehabilitation.