Tandem VR: Synchronized Nature-Based Experiences in Virtual Reality for Hospice Patients and Their Caregivers

NCT ID: NCT06186960

Last Updated: 2025-06-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 11 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-03-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-04-30

Brief Summary

Background: Nature-based virtual reality (VR) and other outdoor experiences in head-mounted displays (HMDs) offer powerful, non-pharmacological tools for hospice teams to help patients undergoing end-of-life (EOL) transitions. However, the psychological distress of the patient-caregiver dyad is interconnected and highlights the interdependence and responsiveness to distress as a unit. Hospice care services and healthcare need strategies to help patients and informal caregivers with EOL transitions.

Detailed Description

Methods: This study uses a synchronized Tandem VR approach where patient- caregiver dyads experience immersive nature-based and other outdoor VR content. This mixed methods study will recruit 20 patient-caregiver dyads (N = 40) enrolled in home hospice services nearing the end-of-life. Dyads will experience a personalized nature-based or other outdoor VR experience lasting 5-15 minutes. Self-reported questionnaires and semi-structured interviews will be collected before and after the VR intervention to identify the impacts of personalized nature-based and other outdoor Tandem VR experiences on the QOL, pain, and fear of death in patient-caregiver dyads enrolled with hospice services. Additionally, this protocol will determine the acceptance of personalized nature-based and other outdoor Tandem VR experiences by dyads as a non-pharmacological modality for addressing patient and caregiver needs. Acceptance was quantified by the number of dyads accepting or declining the VR experience during recruitment.

Discussion: Using personalized, nature-based and other outdoor VR experiences, the patient-caregiver dyads can simultaneously engage in an immersive encounter to help alleviate symptoms associated with declining health and EOL phases for the patient and the often overburdened caregiver. This protocol focuses on meeting the need for person- and caregiver-centered, non-pharmacological interventions to reduce physical, psychological, and spiritual distress.

Conditions

Hospice; End of Life; Palliative Care; Pain; Anxiety; Fear of Death

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Tandem Virtual Reality Experience

Tandem VR Intervention After the surveys are completed, the researchers will share a personalized library of immersive, nature-based, 360-degree VR experiences for the participant-caregiver dyads to choose from based on their VR Intake Form. Once the dyad has determined their desired Tandem VR experience from the library, the researchers will assist the dyads in donning the VR head mounted display (HMD). The researchers will ensure the safety of both dyads while using the HMDs. The researchers will then initiate the Tandem VR experience. The duration of the Tandem VR experience will be 5-15 minutes.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Tandem Virtual Reality

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Hospice patients and their primary caregiver will each wear virtual reality headsets and will experience a customized and synchronized 5-15min virtual reality experience.

Interventions

Tandem Virtual Reality

Hospice patients and their primary caregiver will each wear virtual reality headsets and will experience a customized and synchronized 5-15min virtual reality experience.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• English speaking
• Projected life expectancy of <6 months (established by hospice experts)
• Cognitively intact (has sufficient judgment, planning, organization, and self-control)

Exclusion Criteria

• Having a cognitive impairment that affects protocol participation. This will be done with the assistance of Research Recruiters to assess eligibility.
• Have a condition that interferes with VR usage, including but not limited to seizures, facial injury precluding safe placement of headset
• Have a prognosis of hours or actively dying at the time enrollment
• Patients with motion sickness
• Patients with claustrophobia
• Patients with visual and hearing impairment
• Patients with inability to speak English

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Clemson University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Prisma Health-Upstate

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Joshua K Pope

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Prisma Health Hospice of the Foothills

Locations

Cottingham Hospice House

Seneca, South Carolina, United States

Countries

United States

References

McAnirlin O, Thrift J, Li F, Pope JK, Browning MHEM, Moutogiannis PP, Thomas G, Farrell E, Evatt MM, Fasolino T. The Tandem VR protocol: Synchronized nature-based and other outdoor experiences in virtual reality for hospice patients and their caregivers. Contemp Clin Trials Commun. 2024 Jun 22;40:101318. doi: 10.1016/j.conctc.2024.101318. eCollection 2024 Aug.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 39045392 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

2079177-3

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id