“What if you were the patient?” A mixed methods study on improving hospital workers' awareness of the patient experience through virtual reality

Objective: A hospital visit can be stressful and challenging for patients. Understanding the patient experience is crucial for improving care. The main purpose of this study is to gain insight into whether the use of a Virtual Reality (VR) movie about the patient journey through the hospital enhances hospital workers' awareness of patients' experiences and influences their behaviour. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted at Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands. The study used qualitative, and quantitative methods to evaluate the impact of the VR movie “Through the Eyes of the Patient”. Inclusion criteria were employees of Amsterdam UMC, regardless of role. Exclusion criteria included epilepsy, severe dizziness, or physical limitations affecting VR use. Participants had to complete an evaluation form with both closed and open-ended questions. Data were analyzed using thematic and statistical methods to evaluate the effectiveness of VR in increasing awareness of patients' experiences and influencing their behaviour. Results: A total of 194 hospital workers participated in the study. For the qualitative analysis, data from 171 participants were utilized. Five main themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (1)Evoking emotions; (2)Change of perspective; (3)Regard for the patient; (4)Call for actions; (5)Virtual Reality as an appropriate tool. More than half of the participants acknowledged that the VR movie improved their understanding of the patient experience during a hospital visit or outpatient stay. The mean rating for the VR movie was 8.4 (SD 0.88). Conclusion: Based on the results of our research, the VR movie 'Through the Eyes of the Patient' appears to be effective in raising awareness among hospital employees. VR technology has proven to be a valuable tool to achieve this. Clinical implications: VR is an accessible tool for engaging many employees, making it a valuable addition to formal healthcare training and orientation programs for new hospital workers.