Virtual Reality (VR) is showing promise in healthcare and may be of value in rehearsing self-management tasks for patients with complex disease such as heart failure (HF). We invited four experienced home care nurses to participate in a series of two, ninety-minute focus groups designed to identify self-management concerns for chronically ill patients. Focus groups were held to identify opportunities for patient self-care that could be investigated using virtual reality (VR). Food choice selection was identified as a common challenge for patients with HF on a restricted dietary sodium regimen. In this work, we explore the advantages and barriers of utilizing VR in the home for chronically ill patients with HF and describe the process our branch will use to develop the VR scenario and experience.

Learning Objective: Attendees will:

- Explore a proof of concept virtual reality environment wherein patients can select food according to their sodium restricted diet and receive feedback on their choices.
- Understand the opportunities and challenges of virtual reality as a tool for in-home health care.

Authors:

William Kistler, National Institutes of Health
Denise Goldsmith (Presenter)
National Institutes of Health

Patricia Brennan, National Library of Medicine

Presentation Materials:

• Abstract/Manuscript - 1