Experiences of Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy with Virtual Reality: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study (Preprint)

Abstract Background Segmental tibial fractures are fractures in two or more areas of the tibial diaphysis resulting in a separate intercalary segment of the bone. Surgical fixation is recommended for patients with segmental tibial fractures as non-operative treatment outcomes are poor. The most common surgical interventions are intramedullary nailing (IMN) and circular frame external fixation (CFEF), but evidence about which is better is of poor quality. An adequately powered randomised controlled trial (RCT) to determine optimum treatment is required. STIFF-F aimed to assess the feasibility of a multicentre RCT comparing IMN with CFEF for segmental tibial fracture. Methods STIFF-F was a mixed-methods feasibility study comprising a pilot RCT conducted at six UK Major Trauma Centres, qualitative interviews drawing on Phenomenology and an online survey of rehabilitation. The primary outcome was recruitment rate. Patients, 16 years and over, with a segmental tibial fracture (open or closed) deemed suitable for IMN or CFEF were eligible to participate. Randomisation was stratified by site using random permuted blocks of varying sizes. Participant or assessor blinding was not possible. Interviews were undertaken with patients about their experience of injury, treatment, recovery and participation. Staff were interviewed to identify contextual factors affecting trial processes, their experience of recruitment and the treatment pathway. An online survey was developed to understand the rehabilitation context of the treatments. Results Eleven patients were screened and three recruited to the pilot RCT. Nineteen staff and four patients participated in interviews, and 11 physiotherapists responded to the survey. This study found the following: (i) segmental tibial fractures were rarer than anticipated, (ii) the complexity of the injury, study setup times and surgeon treatment preferences impeded recruitment, (iii) recovery from a segmental tibial fracture is challenging, and rehabilitation protocols are inconsistent and (iv) despite the difficulty recruiting, staff valued this research question and strived to find a way forward. Conclusion The proposed multicentre RCT comparing IMN with CFEF is not feasible. This study highlighted the difficulty of recruiting patients to an RCT of a complex rare injury over a short time period. Trial registration The study was registered with the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials Number Registry: ISRCTN11229660

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Using virtual reality to treat aggressive behavior problems in children: A feasibility study

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/13591045211026160 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 135910452110261

Author(s):

Sophie C Alsem ◽

Anouk van Dijk ◽

Esmée E Verhulp ◽

Bram O De Castro

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Behavior Problems ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Treatment Method ◽

Parent Report ◽

Treatment Delivery ◽

Behavioral Therapies ◽

Technical Issues ◽

Practice Time

Evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) for children with aggressive behavior problems have only modest effects. Research is needed into new methods to enhance CBT effectiveness. The aims of the present study were to (1) examine whether interactive virtual reality is a feasible treatment method for children with aggressive behavior problems; (2) investigate children’s appreciation of the method; and (3) explore whether children’s aggression decreased during the ten-session treatment. Six boys (8–12 years) participated at two clinical centers in the Netherlands. Newly developed weekly reports were collected on treatment feasibility (therapist-report), treatment appreciation (child report), and children’s aggression (child/parent report). Results supported treatment feasibility: therapists delivered on average 98% of the session content, provided more than the recommended practice time in virtual reality, experienced few technical issues, and were satisfied with their treatment delivery. Children highly appreciated the treatment. Parents reported decreases in children’s aggression over the treatment period (i.e., between week 1 and week 10), but children did not. The promising findings of this feasibility study warrant randomized controlled trials to determine whether interactive virtual reality enhances CBT effectiveness for children with aggressive behavior problems.

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Immersive virtual reality in patients with moderate and severe traumatic brain injury: a feasibility study

Health and Technology ◽

10.1007/s12553-021-00582-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Thiago Mazzoli Moraes ◽

Ana Luiza Zaninotto ◽

Iuri Santana Neville ◽

Cintya Yukie Hayashi ◽

Wellingson Silva Paiva

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Severe Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Immersive Virtual Reality

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Cardiac rehabilitation for people with sub-acute, mild to moderate stroke: results from a mixed methods feasibility study

Physiotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.physio.2020.03.131 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 107 ◽

pp. e94

Author(s):

N. Clague-Baker ◽

T. Robinson ◽

C. Gillies ◽

S. Drewry ◽

A. Hagenberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽

Feasibility Study

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Medication Adherence Reminder System for Virtual Home Assistants: Mixed Methods Evaluative Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.27327 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cynthia F. Corbett ◽

Elizabeth M. Combs ◽

Peyton S. Chandarana ◽

Isabel Stringfellow ◽

Karen Worthy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Medication Adherence ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Global Public Health ◽

Constructive Feedback ◽

The Past ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Mcnemar’S Test ◽

Medication Reminder ◽

Mcnemar's Test

BACKGROUND Medication non-adherence is a global public health challenge that results in sub-optimal health outcomes and increases healthcare costs. Forgetting to take medicines is one of the most common reasons for unintentional non-adherence. Research findings indicate that voice-activated virtual home assistants (VHAs), such as Amazon Echo and Google Home devices, may be useful in promoting medication adherence. OBJECTIVE Create a medication adherence app (skill) for Amazon Echo devices and measure the use, usability, and usefulness of that skill. METHODS A single-group mixed methods cohort feasibility study was conducted with females who took oral contraceptives (n=25). Participants were undergraduate students (mean age = 21.8, SD 6.2) at an urban university in the Southeast United States. Participants were given an Amazon Echo Dot with MedBuddy, a new medication reminder skill for Echo devices created by our team, attached to their study account, which they used for 60 days. Participants self-reported baseline and post-study medication adherence. MedBuddy use was objectively evaluated by tracking the participants’ interaction with MedBuddy through Amazon Alexa. The usability and usefulness of MedBuddy were evaluated through a post-study interview with participants responding to both quantitative and qualitative questions. RESULTS Participants’ interactions with MedBuddy, as tracked through Amazon Alexa, only occurred on half of the study days (mean of 50.97, SD 29.5). Compared to baseline, at study end participants reported missing their medication less in the past one and six months (χ 2 = .884 and .420 respectively, McNemar’s test p < .001 for both). However, there was no significant difference in participants’ reported adherence to consistently taking medication within the same two-hour time frame each day the past one or six months at the end of the study compared to baseline (χ 2 = 3.544 and 5.526 respectively, McNemar’s test p = .63 and p = .13 respectively). Overall feedback about usability was positive, and participants provided constructive feedback about features of the skill that could be improved. Participants’ evaluation of the usefulness of Medbuddy was overwhelmingly positive. Most participants (65.2%, n=15) said they would continue to use MedBuddy as a medication reminder in the future if provided the opportunity and the majority (91.3%, n=21) said they would recommend it to others. MedBuddy features that participants enjoyed were an external prompt separate from their phone, being able to hear the reminder prompt from a separate room, multiple reminders, and verbal responses as prompts. CONCLUSIONS The results of this feasibility study indicate the MedBuddy medication reminder skill may be useful in promoting medication adherence, but the skill could benefit from further usability enhancements.

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