Virtual Reality Relaxation Outperforms Traditional Relaxation in Palliative Care

Symptoms of distress experienced by patients in palliative care are significantly reduced with FLOW-virtual reality therapy

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Flourishing-Life-Of-Wish Virtual Reality Therapy (FLOW-VRT)-Relaxation, which has a special focus on relaxation, outperforms traditional relaxation for patients in palliative care, according to a study published online Jan. 31 in Frontiers in Virtual Reality.

Olive Kit Ling Woo, from the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues presented a structured, personalized, and innovative psychological intervention, FLOW-VRT, which makes use of VRT for symptom management. FLOW-VRT-Relaxation was designed for patients in need of palliative care to enhance end-of-life coping through personalized VR relaxation. The efficacy of FLOW-VRT-Relaxation was examined by comparing it to traditional relaxation practice in palliative care in a randomized trial involving 128 participants.

The researchers found that the symptoms of distress, physical or emotional in nature, which patients in palliative care have to endure, were significantly reduced following a FLOW-VRT-Relaxation session.

“Here we show that relaxation assisted by virtual reality outperforms traditional relaxation therapy in terms of physical and psychological symptom management in palliative care,” Woo said in a statement.