Virtual reality adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic: A uses and gratifications perspective

Immersive insights: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis of views, experiences, health and wellbeing of students and educators using virtual reality in nursing and midwifery education

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

As healthcare evolves with technology, the demand for a more skilled nursing and midwifery workforce has increased, making traditional learning alone insufficient. This has driven the adoption of virtual reality (VR) based simulation learning. While VR's effectiveness has been reviewed, student and educator experiences and well-being remain underexplored. This review examined the perspectives of nursing and midwifery students and educators using immersive VR, and its impact on health and well-being.

METHODS

A qualitative systematic review was conducted searching across seven databases, CINAHL, Embase, Education Resources Information Centre, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science Core Collection, from January 2001 to March 2024. Qualitative evidence on midwifery and nursing students and educators using immersive VR, including head-mounted displays, were included. An adapted Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool was used to assess study quality. Themes were developed using thematic synthesis.

FINDINGS

Forty-five studies from 14 countries were synthesised. VR topics covered skills, competencies, knowledge acquisition, and professional values. Seven analytical themes emerged: impact on health and well-being, constraints to VR use, unique selling points of VR, enhanced productivity in teaching and learning, perceptions of realism in VR, professional development and attitude shifts, and future considerations for VR use.

CONCLUSION

While VR provides significant benefits in nursing and midwifery education, its full integration is hindered by practical challenges, and concerns about health and well-being. Effective adoption requires dedicated educator support, student collaboration in content development, clear guidelines, increased institutional investment, and balanced use alongside traditional simulations. Future research should investigate learner and educator perspectives longitudinally to maximise VR's educational potential.

The application of metaverse in mental health

Rapid technological progress is reshaping human existence globally. The metaverse, a 3D digital realm merging virtual reality (VR) with physical space, exemplifies this fusion. Users can replicate and customize real-world elements within this immersive environment. Over the past decade, VR, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) have become effective tools for addressing mental health conditions, offering solutions to the shortage of mental health professionals and limited access to care. However, extensive participation in 3D immersive gaming and social media can lead to insecurity, anxiety, depression, and addictive behaviors, particularly among young adults. This engagement may also impair attention spans, exacerbating symptoms in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This research examines the impact of expanding metaverse applications on mental health, exploring both risks and benefits.

Beyond the hype: longitudinal trends in virtual reality perceptions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

The metaverse is shaped significantly by spatial computing technologies, such as virtual reality (VR). However, the promise of a VR-facilitated metaverse remains unfulfilled, and public perceptions of these technologies are fluid. Therefore, this study investigates perceptions and intentions to use VR over three years, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

We conducted three waves of cross-sectional surveys from 2020 to 2022 (N = 928), via Amazon Mechanical Turk.

Analysis

Data were analysed using OLS regression and mediation-moderation analysis using Hayes' PROCESS Model 85.

Results

Respondents' perceptions of VR as both easy to use and useful predict their intentions to use the technology, with usefulness being the stronger predictor. When examining changes over time, in 2021, VR ownership was not a predictor of perceived usefulness, and it was associated with a decrease in intentions to use VR, potentially reflecting the dynamics of the hype cycle. The direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on VR acceptance persisted throughout all three years of the study but appear to be diminishing with time.

Conclusion

This study contributes to the theoretical and practical discourse on the metaverse's development, advocating for a nuanced understanding of VR's role as a critical component of this digital frontier.

Purposes and characteristics of virtual reality technologies for the elderly in the community: a scoping review

to map the characteristics and purposes of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies for the elderly in the community.

scoping review, according to JBI recommendations and described according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews. Ten databases and four platforms referring to gray literature were included. Studies were selected after duplicates were removed and individual and peer reviews were carried out. Similarity analysis was used to identify competition between words and their results.

20 studies on VR for the elderly were mapped, the majority of which used non-immersive devices. The main purpose of using VR with the elderly is to improve and/or rehabilitate functions that decline with aging, either physiologically or as a result of illness or injury. VR devices are a potential tool for the prevention of falls and cognitive decline and favor the performance of instrumental activities of daily living. Similarity analysis resulted in the generation of a maximum tree, which identified the interrelationship between the terms "virtual reality" and "elderly" as the central and intermediate elements, respectively.

it is recommended that further studies be carried out in other environments, which could allow for a wider use of VR by health professionals, especially nurses, in the care provided to the elderly.

Global research trends of virtual simulation technology in public health education and training: A visual analysis based on CiteSpace and VOSviewer

BACKGROUND

In response to global health challenges, implementing innovative educational strategies is crucial for preparing public health professionals with the required skills. This study employed CiteSpace and VOSviewer to visually analyze 3 decades of research on virtual simulation technology in public health education and training. The visual knowledge map created aimed to uncover the research trends, key areas of interest, and emerging frontiers in this domain.

METHODS

Leveraging the Web of Science core collection database and employing bibliometric methods, the CiteSpace and VOSviewer softwares were used to analyze the annual publication, literature distribution, country/institution distribution, author distribution, co-cited literature, and keywords related to the virtual simulation technology in public health education and training over the past 30 years. A visual map was then created.

RESULTS

A total of 1241 research articles were involved in the analysis. The yearly publication count and citations had an overall upward trend, with a significant increase in the number of publications since 2019. The studies in this domain are mainly concentrated in developed countries, particularly in Europe and the United States. The United States emerged as the frontrunner in terms of the number of publications, while both the United Kingdom and the United States exhibited the highest mediation centrality and exerted the greatest international influence. Harvard University made the most substantial contribution with 50 articles and exhibited an institutional cooperation centrality of 0.12. The paper entitled "Using thematic analysis in psychology" had the highest number of citations (28). The primary research hotspots included disaster medicine, telehealth, and virtual reality, while aspects such as digital health, augmented reality, and serious games had consistent continuity. An emerging research frontier, Post-2020, included several topics such as medicine, COVID-19, quality, virtual learning, rehabilitation, depression, and strategy.

CONCLUSION

This study presents the inaugural comprehensive analysis of global trends, hotspots, frontiers, and advancements in the implementation of virtual simulation technology in public health education and training, utilizing CiteSpace and VOSviewer software. The research findings reveal a significant surge in publications since 2019, with a particular emphasis on disaster medicine, telehealth, and virtual reality, indicating the versatility and promise of virtual simulation in the changing educational environments. These findings emphasize the significance of virtual simulation as a dynamic and progressive tool in public health education, proposing a promising direction for future research and practical applications.

Comparing Learning Outcomes of Machine-Guided Virtual Reality-Based Training With Educator-Guided Training in a Metaverse Environment: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality (VR) modules are commonly used for health care training, such as adult advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), due to immersion and engagement. The metaverse differs from current VR serious gaming by enabling shared social connections, while current VR modules focus on computer-based content without social interaction. Educators in the metaverse can foster communication and collaboration during training sessions.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare learning outcomes of VR-based, machine-guided training with educator-guided, VR-based training in the metaverse environment.

METHODS

A total of 62 volunteered students from Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University Vocational School for Anesthesiology were randomly divided into 2 groups of 31 participants each: one group received VR-based training with machine guidance (MG), and the other received VR-based training with educator guidance (EG) in the metaverse. The members of both groups undertook VR-based basic training for ACLS. Afterward, the MG group was trained with a VR-based advanced training module, which provides training with full MG, whereas the EG group attended the VR-based, educator-guided training in the metaverse. The primary outcome of the study was determined by the exam score of the VR-based training module. Descriptive statistics defined continuous variables such as VR exam scores and time spent on machine- or educator-guided training. The correlation between training time and VR exam scores was assessed with the Spearman rank correlation, and nonnormally distributed variables were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical significance was set at P<.05, with analyses executed by MedCalc Statistical Software (version 12.7.7).

RESULTS

Comparing the VR test scores between the MG and EG groups revealed no statistically significant difference. The VR test scores for the EG group had a median of 86 (range 11-100). In contrast, the MG group scores had a median of 66 (range 13-100; P=.08). Regarding the correlation between the duration of machine-guided or educator-guided training and VR-based exam scores, for the MG group, =0.569 and P=.005 were obtained. For the EG group, this correlation was found to be =0.298 and P=.10. While this correlation is statistically significant for the MG group, it is not significant for the EG group. The post hoc power analysis (80%), considering the correlation between the time spent on training and exam scores, supported this finding.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that a well-designed, VR-based serious gaming module with MG could provide comparable learning outcomes to VR training in the metaverse with EG for adult ACLS training. Future research with a larger sample size could explore whether social interaction with educators in a metaverse environment offers added benefits for learners.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06288087; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06288087.

Virtual Reality and Tourism Marketing

Marketing for historical tourism is being revolutionized by social media and virtual reality, which provide immersive experiences that go beyond conventional boundaries. This study investigates how they interact to affect behavioral intent, emotional reaction, and audience engagement. Researchers examine user behavior and pleasure through the use of netnography, narrative reporting, and theories such as uses and gratifications and UTAUT. The results highlight the importance of VRM for sustainable tourism and economic growth, but they also highlight the need for more study on industry acceptability and regulatory frameworks. Opportunities to improve visitor experiences and encourage cultural preservation are provided by VRM. Future research should concentrate on cross-location comparisons and the integration of VR with cutting-edge technologies like AR and MR. In the end, VRM has the power to revolutionize historical tourism by offering enthralling experiences that encourage inquiry and discovery.

Therapist perspectives on telehealth-based virtual reality exposure therapy

Virtual reality (VR) can enhance mental health care. In particular, the effectiveness of VR-based exposure therapy (VRET) has been well-demonstrated for treatment of anxiety disorders. However, most applications of VRET remain localized to clinic spaces. We aimed to explore mental health therapists' perceptions of telehealth-based VRET (tele-VRET) by conducting semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 18 telemental health therapists between October and December 2022. Interview topics included telehealth experiences, exposure therapy over telehealth, previous experiences with VR, and perspectives on tele-VRET. Therapists described how telehealth reduced barriers (88.9%, 16/18), enhanced therapy (61.1%, 11/18), and improved access to clients (38.9%, 7/18), but entailed problems with technology (61.1%, 11/18), uncontrolled settings (55.6%, 10/18), and communication difficulties (50%, 9/18). Therapists adapted exposure therapy to telehealth by using online resources (66.7%, 12/18), preparing client expectations (55.6%, 10/18), and adjusting workflows (27.8%, 5/18). Most therapists had used VR before (72.2%, 13/18) and had positive impressions of VR (55.6%, 10/18), but none had used VR clinically. In response to tele-VRET, therapists requested interactive session activities (77.8%, 14/18) and customizable interventions components (55.6%, 10/18). Concerns about tele-VRET included risks with certain clients (77.8%, 14/18), costs (50%, 9/18), side effects and privacy (22.2%, 4/18), and inappropriateness for specific forms of exposure therapy (16.7%, 3/18). These results reveal how combining telehealth and VRET may expand therapeutic options for mental healthcare providers and can help inform collaborative development of immersive health technologies.

A New Normal: A Case Study on Changing Strategies in Technology Engagement at an Academic Health Sciences Library

As academic libraries shift services to meet the changing needs of patrons after the COVID-19 pandemic, educational technologies and services to support them require updating. Patrons using technology that was once associated with hands-on learning and in-person interactions are preferring flexible and hybrid iterations. In this case study, the authors describe and analyze the pivot of three technology services at the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library in the post-COVID-19 environment. Technologies discussed include a multimedia studio, virtual reality (VR), and a three-dimensional (3D) printing service. This case study utilizes available usage stats and survey data to demonstrate and provide rationale for the changing strategy in services for each technology "hub." The multimedia studio has been dismantled in favor of the equipment being available for checkout, VR is now available in a staff-supported classroom, and a 3D printing service has been fully automated through an online submission platform. These examples, and the rationale behind changing them, can help offer ideas for other libraries to help find solutions that meet the demands of a changing learning environment.

The Effects of Nature-Based Travel in Virtual Reality: The Role of Spatial Presence and Narrative Engagement

The benefits of nature tourism, or nature-based travel, are plentiful. For example, participation in nature tours has positively impacted environmental attitudes and behaviors. Unfortunately, while psychologically beneficial, nature-based tourism can hurt the environment through a myriad of factors. Therefore, we must continue to explore ways to make the benefits of nature-based travel more sustainable and impactful. Research suggests that nature-based travel in virtual reality (VR) may impart numerous travel benefits, such as improving conservational behavior and interconnectedness with nature. While these early findings are promising, questions remain regarding the theoretical mechanisms underlying the effects of nature-based VR travel. Therefore, this study explores how VR may provide an avenue to make nature tourism more environmentally friendly while simultaneously making people more environmentally connected and conscious. Furthermore, a theoretical framework is posited that combines concepts from the spatial presence and narrative persuasion literature to help explain the effects. To accomplish these goals, an experiment was conducted using a two-condition (VR travel vs. TV control) between-subjects factorial design with random assignment. The participants were 66 college students from a large Midwestern University in the United States. Results indicated that there wasn't a statistically significant difference between the VR travel condition and the television (TV) control condition regarding the environmental outcome variables. However, while the nature-based VR travel experience did not appear to influence the environmental outcome variables directly, it did indirectly affect them through the mediating roles of spatial presence and narrative engagement.

Therapist perspectives on telehealth-based virtual reality exposure therapy

Virtual reality (VR) can enhance mental health care. In particular, the effectiveness of VR-based exposure therapy (VRET) has been well-demonstrated for treatment of anxiety disorders. However, most applications of VRET remain localized to clinic spaces. We aimed to explore mental health therapists' perceptions of telehealth-based VRET (tele-VRET) by conducting semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 18 telemental health therapists between October and December 2022. Interview topics included telehealth experiences, exposure therapy over telehealth, perceptions of VR in therapy, and perspectives on tele-VRET. Therapists described how telehealth reduced barriers (88.9%, 16/18), enhanced therapy (61.1%, 11/18), and improved access to clients (38.9%, 7/18), but entailed problems with technology (61.1%, 11/18), uncontrolled settings (55.6%, 10/18), and communication di culties (50%, 9/18). Therapists adapted exposure therapy to telehealth by using online resources (66.7%, 12/18), preparing client expectations (55.6%, 10/18), and adjusting workflows (27.8%, 5/18). Most therapists had used VR before (72.2%, 13/18) and had positive impressions (55.6%, 10/18), but none had used VR clinically. In response to tele-VRET, therapists requested interactive session activities (77.8%, 14/18) and customizable interventions components (55.6%, 10/18). Concerns about tele-VRET included risks with certain clients (77.8%, 14/18), costs (50%, 9/18), side effects and privacy (22.2%, 4/18), and inappropriateness for specific forms of exposure therapy (16.7%, 3/18). These results show how designing for telehealth may extend VRET and can help inform collaborative development of health technologies.

Prediction and detection of virtual reality induced cybersickness: a spiking neural network approach using spatiotemporal EEG brain data and heart rate variability

Virtual Reality (VR) allows users to interact with 3D immersive environments and has the potential to be a key technology across many domain applications, including access to a future metaverse. Yet, consumer adoption of VR technology is limited by cybersickness (CS)-a debilitating sensation accompanied by a cluster of symptoms, including nausea, oculomotor issues and dizziness. A leading problem is the lack of automated objective tools to predict or detect CS in individuals, which can then be used for resistance training, timely warning systems or clinical intervention. This paper explores the spatiotemporal brain dynamics and heart rate variability involved in cybersickness and uses this information to both predict and detect CS episodes. The present study applies deep learning of EEG in a spiking neural network (SNN) architecture to predict CS prior to using VR (85.9%, F7) and detect it (76.6%, FP1, Cz). ECG-derived sympathetic heart rate variability (HRV) parameters can be used for both prediction (74.2%) and detection (72.6%) but at a lower accuracy than EEG. Multimodal data fusion of EEG and sympathetic HRV does not change this accuracy compared to ECG alone. The study found that Cz (premotor and supplementary motor cortex) and O2 (primary visual cortex) are key hubs in functionally connected networks associated with both CS events and susceptibility to CS. F7 is also suggested as a key area involved in integrating information and implementing responses to incongruent environments that induce cybersickness. Consequently, Cz, O2 and F7 are presented here as promising targets for intervention.

How does social presence influence public crisis information sharing intention? Situational pressure perspective

Objective

Public crises seriously affect social stability and personal health. When individuals are in a public crisis environment, they will have the impulse and intention to share information, which is a behavioral attitude shown in the face of a crisis. Public crisis information sharing intention will be affected by many factors. This study aims to examine how the process of social presence may influence information sharing intentions during a public crisis and the mediating effects of situational pressure, including risk perception of disease infection and consistency of perception of opinion climate.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study with 505 youth SNS users. In order to collect as suitable samples as possible, a research website was commissioned to conduct a questionnaire in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. This questionnaire was utilized to measure social presence, risk perception of disease infection, consistency of perception of opinion climate and intention to share information about COVID-19. Structural equation modeling was used to examine variable relationships in the research model.

Results

The results showed that social presence was significantly and positively associated with risk perception of disease infection (B = 0.42, p < 0.001), consistency of perception of opinion climate (B = 0.43, p < 0.001) and intention to share information about COVID-19 (B = 0.48, p < 0.001). Risk perception of disease infection (B = 0.19, p < 0.001) and consistency of perception of opinion climate (B = 0.18, p = 0.002) positively predicted youth SNS users' intention to share information about COVID-19. Risk perception of disease infection and consistency of perception of opinion climate mediated the relationship between social presence and intention to share information about COVID-19 (Z = 2.66, CI: 0.03, 0.15; Z = 2.66, CI: 0.02, 0.16).

Conclusion

The study further deepens our understanding of the mechanisms underlying social presence and information sharing intentions. These new findings suggest that some situational cues, including media environment factors (social presence) and perceived stress factors (risk perception of disease infection, consistency of perception of opinion climate) may influence information sharing intention. From the perspective of communication psychology, this study enriched the assessment of information sharing on social media and contributes to understanding of social presence and situation pressure, and it helps to provide specific references for effectively promoting netizens' intention to share information about public crises.

Brain activity during cybersickness: a scoping review

Virtual reality (VR) experiences can cause a range of negative symptoms such as nausea, disorientation, and oculomotor discomfort, which is collectively called cybersickness. Previous studies have attempted to develop a reliable measure for detecting cybersickness instead of using questionnaires, and electroencephalogram (EEG) has been regarded as one of the possible alternatives. However, despite the increasing interest, little is known about which brain activities are consistently associated with cybersickness and what types of methods should be adopted for measuring discomfort through brain activity. We conducted a scoping review of 33 experimental studies in cybersickness and EEG found through database searches and screening. To understand these studies, we organized the pipeline of EEG analysis into four steps (preprocessing, feature extraction, feature selection, classification) and surveyed the characteristics of each step. The results showed that most studies performed frequency or time-frequency analysis for EEG feature extraction. A part of the studies applied a classification model to predict cybersickness indicating an accuracy between 79 and 100%. These studies tended to use HMD-based VR with a portable EEG headset for measuring brain activity. Most VR content shown was scenic views such as driving or navigating a road, and the age of participants was limited to people in their 20 s. This scoping review contributes to presenting an overview of cybersickness-related EEG research and establishing directions for future work.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10055-023-00795-y.

In-between worlds: Chilean university lecturers' experiences of teaching transition between face-to-face and virtual reality contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic

The advent of new technology is breaking the boundaries of traditional teaching and learning patterns with virtual worlds (VW) creating new frontiers in education. Previous research has explored the use of VW within educational settings. However, limited studies have investigated the transition processes that educators experience by adopting VW based online tools during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative exploratory study investigated 18 Chilean lecturers' teaching experiences using a three-dimensional computer-mediated environment: Second Life. Findings suggest that changing from traditional to virtual teaching context is a complex process, which (re)shaped the lecturers' various senses of identity and agency towards different instructional approaches resulting in the sense of in-betweenness with multiple digital competencies. These changes indicated that they taught in an 'in-between' mode mapped by different teaching mediations. The participants' teaching experiences of shaping a sense of in-betweenness could provide a unique theoretical lens to explore instructors' teaching experiences from traditional to a technology-mediated online setting.

Emerging Technology for Healthy Lifestyle of the Middle-Age and Elderly: A Scoping Review

Background

Emerging technology research focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles for the middle-aged and elderly is paramount in recent literature. However, limited evidence is available for the middle-aged population. This paper reviews how emerging technologies can help in promoting a healthy lifestyle for the middle-aged and elderly.

Methods

A scoping literature review method was employed. Articles were extracted from online databases published within 2010-2021. Overall, 3,152 articles related to the topic were obtained and 2979 articles were archived via different search procedures. Moreover, 173 articles that met the inclusion criteria underwent qualitative synthesize for conclusive inferences.

Results

Most studies focused on people aged 60 and up, leaving the middle-aged population under-studied and unprepared to age. Older adults have high technology anxiety and resistance to change. Limited studies are available to support technology-based healthy lifestyle promotion for middle-aged people. The emerging technologies that are useful in promoting healthy lifestyle behavior among middle-aged people include: robotics, virtual reality, wearables, artificial intelligence, smart textiles, as well as centralized health information systems.

Conclusion

This review sets as a pace-setter for future research on how emerging technologies can aid in the development of healthy lifestyles for the middle-aged and elderly population, allowing them to live a quality life as they age.

Metaverse!

This study aimed to synthesize the literature on Metaverse to highlight its current research, opportunities, and applications in e-healthcare and education to reduce inequalities and for delivering fair and equal opportunities and solutions. The authors employed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) to rapidly map the field of a metaverse in health and education. Two major application domains emerged in the literature from the 88 research publications, which include (1) Metaverse in healthcare and (2) Metaverse in education. This study will act as a road map to help academics who desire to continue their research work in the Metaverse for various healthcare and educational services. However, its implementation is required in the future to improve mental healthcare and the effectiveness of mental health services, particularly in low and medium-income (LMIC) and conflict-affected areas.

Researching the application of virtual reality in medical education: one-year follow-up of a randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Compared with traditional tendon repair teaching methods, using a virtual reality (VR) simulator to teach tendon suturing can significantly improve medical students' exercise time, operation flow and operation knowledge. At present, the purpose of this study is to explore the long-term influence of VR simulator teaching on the practice performance of medical students.

METHOD

This is a one-year long-term follow-up study of a randomized controlled study. A total of 117 participants who completed the initial study were invited to participate in the follow-up study. Participants in the VR group and the control group were required to complete a questionnaire developed by the authors and the teachers in the teaching and research department and to provide their surgical internship scores and Objective Structure Clinical Examination(OSCE) graduation scores.

RESULTS

Of the 117 invitees, 108 completed the follow-up. The answers to the questions about career choice and study habits were more positive in the VR group than in the control group (p < 0.05). The total score for clinical practice in the VR group was better than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). In the OSCE examination, the scores for physical examination, suturing and knotting and image reading were higher in the VR group than in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The results of the one-year long-term follow-up indicated that compared with medical students experiencing the traditional teaching mode, those experiencing the VR teaching mode had more determined career pursuit and active willingness to learn, better evaluations from teachers in the process of surgical clinical practice, and better scores in physical examination, suturing and knotting and image reading in the OSCE examination. In the study of nonlinear dynamics to cultivate a good learning model for medical students, the VR teaching model is expected to become an effective and stable initial sensitive element.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(25/05/2021, ChiCTR2100046648); http://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.aspx?id=90180 .

Virtual reality for healthcare: A scoping review of commercially available applications for head-mounted displays

Objective

This scoping review aimed to describe the scope of commercially available virtual reality (VR) healthcare applications for mainstream head-mounted displays (HMD)s.

Methods

A search was conducted during late April and early May 2022 over five major VR app stores using "health," "healthcare," "medicine," and "medical" as keywords. Apps were screened based on their title and description sections. Metadata collected included: title, description, release date, price (free or paid), multilingual support, VR app store availability, and HMD support.

Results

The search yielded 1995 apps, out of which 60 met the inclusion criteria. The analysis showed that the number of healthcare VR apps has been steadily increasing since 2016, but no developer has released more than two apps so far. Most of the reviewed apps can run on HTC Vive, Oculus Quest, and Valve Index. Thirty-four (56.7%) apps had a free version, and 12 (20%) apps were multilingual, i.e., supported languages other than English. The reviewed apps fell into eight major themes: life science education (3D anatomy, physiology and pathology, biochemistry, and genetics); rehabilitation (physical, mental, and phobia therapy); public health training (safety, life-saving skills, and management); medical training (surgical and patient simulators); role-playing as a patient; 3D medical imagery viewing; children's health; and online health communities.

Conclusions

Although commercial healthcare VR is still in its early phases, end-users can already access a broad range of healthcare VR apps on mainstream HMDs. Further research is needed to assess the usefulness and usability of existing apps.

Machine learning methods for the study of cybersickness: a systematic review

This systematic review offers a world-first critical analysis of machine learning methods and systems, along with future directions for the study of cybersickness induced by virtual reality (VR). VR is becoming increasingly popular and is an important part of current advances in human training, therapies, entertainment, and access to the metaverse. Usage of this technology is limited by cybersickness, a common debilitating condition experienced upon VR immersion. Cybersickness is accompanied by a mix of symptoms including nausea, dizziness, fatigue and oculomotor disturbances. Machine learning can be used to identify cybersickness and is a step towards overcoming these physiological limitations. Practical implementation of this is possible with optimised data collection from wearable devices and appropriate algorithms that incorporate advanced machine learning approaches. The present systematic review focuses on 26 selected studies. These concern machine learning of biometric and neuro-physiological signals obtained from wearable devices for the automatic identification of cybersickness. The methods, data processing and machine learning architecture, as well as suggestions for future exploration on detection and prediction of cybersickness are explored. A wide range of immersion environments, participant activity, features and machine learning architectures were identified. Although models for cybersickness detection have been developed, literature still lacks a model for the prediction of first-instance events. Future research is pointed towards goal-oriented data selection and labelling, as well as the use of brain-inspired spiking neural network models to achieve better accuracy and understanding of complex spatio-temporal brain processes related to cybersickness.

A data-centric artificial intelligent and extended reality technology in smart healthcare systems

Extended reality (XR) solutions are quietly maturing, and their novel use cases are already being investigated, particularly in the healthcare industry. By 2022, the extended reality market is anticipated to be worth $209 billion. Certain diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Schizophrenia, Stroke rehabilitation stimulating specific areas of the patient's brain, healing brain injuries, surgeon training, realistic 3D visualization, touch-free interfaces, and teaching social skills to children with autism, have shown promising results with XR-assisted treatments. Similar effects have been used in video game therapies like Akili Interactive's EndeavorRx, which has previously been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment regimen for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, while these improvements have received positive feedback, the field of XR-assisted patient treatment is in its infancy. The growth of XR in the healthcare sphere has the potential to transform the delivery of medical services. Imagine an elderly patient in a remote setting having a consultation with a world-renowned expert without ever having to leave their house. Rather than operating on cadavers in a medical facility, a surgical resident does surgery in a virtual setting at home. On the first try, a nurse uses a vein finder to implant an IV. Through cognitive treatment in a virtual world, a war veteran recovers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The paper discusses the potential impact of XR in transforming the healthcare industry, as well as its use cases, challenges, XR tools and techniques for intelligent health care, recent developments of XR in intelligent healthcare services, and the potential benefits and future aspects of XR techniques in the medical domain.

Virtual reality and augmented reality in radiation oncology education - A review and expert commentary

The field of radiation oncology is rapidly advancing through technological and biomedical innovation backed by robust research evidence. However, cancer professionals are notoriously time-poor, meaning there is a need for high quality, accessible and tailored oncologic education programs. While traditional teaching methods including lectures and other in-person delivery formats remain important, digital learning (DL) has provided additional teaching options that can be delivered flexibly and on-demand from anywhere in the world. While evidence of this digital migration has been evident for some time now, it has not always been met with the same enthusiasm by the teaching community, in part due to questions about its pedagogical effectiveness. Many of these reservations have been driven by a rudimentary utilisation of the medium and inexperience with digital best-practice. With increasing familiarity and understanding of the medium, increasingly sophisticated and pedagogically-driven learning solutions can be produced. This article will review the application of immersive digital learning tools in radiation oncology education. This includes first and second-generation Virtual Reality (VR) environments and Augmented Reality (AR). It will explore the data behind, and best-practice application of, each of these tools as well as giving practical tips for educators who are looking to implement (or refine) their use of these learning methods. It includes a discussion of how to match the digital learning methods to the content being taught and ends with a horizon scan of where the digital medium may take us in the future. This article is the second in a two-part series, with the companion piece being on Screen-Based Digital Learning Methods in Radiation Oncology. Overall, the digital space is well-placed to cater to the evolving educational needs of oncology learners. Further uptake over the next decade is likely to be driven by the desire for flexible on demand delivery, high-yield products, engaging delivery methods and programs that are tailored to individual learning needs. Educational programs that embrace these principles will have unique opportunities to thrive in this space.

How live stream content types impact viewers’ support behaviors? Mediational analysis on psychological and social gratifications

While previous research into live streaming was predominantly focused on video games, its content creation and provision has tremendously evolved, extending well-beyond game streams. Contents of general interest, such as e-commerce shopping, talent shows, and cute pets, started to prevail in today’s landscape of live streaming. However, limited attention has been given to how distinct types of streaming contents influence viewers’ psychological and behavioral responses. To fill this void, we employed an online survey (n = 583) to empirically examine the associations between popular live stream content types on Douyin (i.e., the TikTok app for China) and their viewers’ psychological and social gratifications and typical support behaviors. The results revealed that gratifications varied drastically across different content types. Game streaming, in particular, generated significant indirect impacts on all the support behaviors under consideration. On the other hand, whereas tension release served as a consistent mediator, the cognitive needs had no significant mediation effects. In sum, our study makes theoretical contributions to the literature by analyzing the thriving live stream phenomenon from a uses and gratifications perspective. We help augment the understanding of new media users’ preferences and choices in an attention economy, wherein human attention is conceptualized as a scarce resource. In practice, a better knowledge of viewer needs can facilitate streamers to customize their content creation and provision so as to accentuate elements of interest and elicit desired support behaviors (i.e., monetization opportunities).

Problematic internet usage: the impact of objectively Recorded and categorized usage time, emotional intelligence components and subjective happiness about usage

Most research on Problematic Internet Usage (PIU) relied on self-report data when measuring the time spent on the internet. Self-reporting of use, typically done through a survey, showed discrepancies from the actual amount of use. Studies exploring the association between trait emotional intelligence (EI) components and the subjective feeling on technology usage and PIU are also limited. The current cross-sectional study aims to examine whether the objectively recorded technology usage, taking smartphone usage as a representative, components of trait EI (sociability, emotionality, well-being, self-control), and happiness with phone use can predict PIU and its components (obsession, neglect, and control disorder). A total of 268 participants (Female: 61.6%) reported their demographic and completed a questionnaire that included Problematic Internet Usage Questionnaire short form (PIUQ-SF-6), Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), level of happiness with the amount and frequency of smartphone use, and living conditions (whether alone or with others). Their smartphone usage was objectively recorded through a dedicated app. A series of one-way ANOVA revealed no significant difference in PIU for different living conditions and a significant difference in the subjective level of happiness with phone usage (F (3, 264) = 7.55, p < .001), as well as of the frequency of usage where the unhappy group had higher PIU (F (3, 264) = 6.85, p < .001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that happiness with phone usage (β = -.17), the actual usage of communication (β = .17), social media (β = .19) and gaming apps (β = .13), and trait EI component of self-control (β = -.28) were all significant predictors of PIU. Moreover, gender, age, and happiness with the frequency of phone usage were not significant predictors of PIU. The whole model accounted for the total variance of PIU by 32.5% (Adjusted R2 = .287). Our study contributes to the literature by being among the few to rely on objectively recorded smartphone usage data and utilizing components of trait EI as predictors.

How Virtual Reality Technology Has Changed Our Lives: An Overview of the Current and Potential Applications and Limitations

Despite virtual reality (VR) being initially marketed toward gaming, there are many potential and existing VR applications in various sectors and fields, including education, training, simulations, and even in exercise and healthcare. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of general understanding of the strengths and limitations of VR as a technology in various application domains. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to contribute to the library of literature concerning VR technology, its applications in everyday use, and some of its existing drawbacks. Key VR applications were discussed in terms of how they are currently utilized or can be utilized in the future, spanning fields such as medicine, engineering, education, and entertainment. The main benefits of VR are expressed through the text, followed by a discussion of some of the main limitations of current VR technologies and how they can be mitigated or improved. Overall, this literature review shows how virtual reality technology has the potential to be a greatly beneficial tool in a multitude of applications and a wide variety of fields. VR as a technology is still in its early stages, but more people are becoming interested in it and are optimistic about seeing what kind of changes VR can make in their everyday lives. With how rapidly modern society has adapted to personal computers and smartphones, VR has the opportunity to become the next big technological turning point that will eventually become commonplace in most households.

Do an Organization’s Digital Transformation and Employees’ Digital Competence Catalyze the Use of Telepresence?

Rapid changes in the external environment are increasing interest in digital transformation. In particular, the recent breakout of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 has required certain companies to restrict physical exchanges among their members. As a result, companies must strive to maintain productivity and performance by supporting business exchange activities through online platforms. A metaverse technology that supports individuals’ exchange activities in a virtual space based on 3D technology has recently attracted attention from companies. However, as previous studies related to the metaverse have focused on strengthening personalized content and services, additional research is needed in order to understand the metaverse’s effects at the organizational level. This study aims to present the conditions for strengthening the motivation to use the metaverse from the perspective of organizations and members who have applied the metaverse in the workplace on a trial basis. In this study, an online questionnaire was conducted targeting workers of organizations with a history of using the metaverse for business, and the hypotheses were tested using 304 valid samples. As a result of the analysis, it was found that telepresence, a characteristic of the metaverse, influences the intention to continue using the metaverse through informativeness, interactivity, and enjoyment. In addition, the shared goal of the organization’s digital transformation moderated the influence relationship between telepresence and an individual’s motivations, and an individual’s digital competence moderated the influence relationship between motivation and the intention of continuous use. This study suggests a digital transformation strategy for an organization in terms of suggesting ways to strengthen the motivations for the use of the metaverse of employees in the organization.

Virtual Fitness: investigating team commitment and post-pandemic virtual workout perceptions

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the fitness landscape leading to phenomenal growth in virtual workouts. This study investigates factors influencing virtual workout team commitment and post-pandemic workout intentions. A conceptual framework is developed that is grounded in the social identity theory. Online data collection is employed to gather responses from 406 team virtual workout participants. Results reveal that virtual workout team participation positively influences team identification, satisfaction, and compliance with team norms. Additionally, virtual workout team identification, satisfaction, and compliance to team norms were found to be antecedents of commitment to the virtual workout team. Commitment to virtual workout teams is revealed to be positively associated with post-pandemic virtual team workout intention and post-pandemic traditional team workout intention. However, the relationship with post-pandemic traditional team workout intentions was found to be stronger. Valuable theoretical and practical insights emerge, providing a better understanding of virtual workout team commitment and how marketers and practitioners can ensure post-pandemic success by better understanding customer behaviour.

Shared Virtual Reality Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Gratifications and Effects of Engagement with Immersive Videos

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and recent economic recession have been impacting many people’s mental health. The experience of social distancing created new hardships for people who already reported symptoms of depression or anxiety. In these circumstances, new technologies, such as immersive virtual reality (VR) videos, could serve as useful tools for facilitating interactions, emotional sharing, and information processing within a virtual environment. In this study, researchers aimed to enrich the information processing literature by focusing on the uses and gratifications of 360-degree VR videos during the pandemic. Through employing survey research with 1422 participants located in the U.S. and structural equation modeling for data analysis, this study found that five types of gratification, including utilitarian (i.e., navigation), hedonic (i.e., enjoyment), sensual (i.e., realism), social (i.e., community), and symbolic (i.e., coolness), significantly motivated users to use such immersive videos. Simultaneously, data demonstrated that these five types of gratification could influence users’ cognitive engagement with virtual content. In addition, such VR engagement facilitated users’ positive attitudes toward immersive videos and continued usage of them. The findings provided practical implications for COVID-19 global recovery as well.

Virtual Reality Metaverse System Supplementing Remote Education Methods: Based on Aircraft Maintenance Simulation

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shift from in-person to remote education, with most students taking classes via video meetings. This change inhibits active class participation from students. In particular, video education has limitations in replacing practical classes, which require both theoretical and empirical knowledge. In this study, we propose a system that incorporates virtual reality and metaverse methods into the classroom to compensate for the shortcomings of the existing remote models of practical education. Based on the proposed system, we developed an aircraft maintenance simulation and conducted an experiment comparing our system to a video training method. To measure educational effectiveness, knowledge acquisition, and retention tests were conducted and presence was investigated via survey responses. The results of the experiment show that the group using the proposed system scored higher than the video training group on both knowledge tests. As the responses given to the presence questionnaire confirmed a sense of spatial presence felt by the participants, the usability of the proposed system was judged to be appropriate.

Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in Dentistry: A Narrative Review on the Existing Platforms and Future Challenges

The recent advancements in digital technologies have led to exponential progress in dentistry. This narrative review aims to summarize the applications of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality in dentistry and describes future challenges in digitalization, such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality represent effective tools in the educational technology, as they can enhance students’ learning and clinical training. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality and can also be useful aids during clinical practice. Augmented Reality can be used to add digital data to real life clinical data. Clinicians can apply Virtual Reality for a digital wax-up that provides a pre-visualization of the final post treatment result. In addition, both these technologies may also be employed to eradicate dental phobia in patients and further enhance patient’s education. Similarly, they can be used to enhance communication between the dentist, patient, and technician. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics can also improve clinical practice. Artificial Intelligence is currently developed to improve dental diagnosis and provide more precise prognoses of dental diseases, whereas Robotics may be used to assist in daily practice.