Chapter 7 - Clinical Applications of Virtual Reality in Patient-Centered Care

Clinical virtual reality (VR) interventions can spur perceptual, behavioral, and attitudinal changes in patients. Long-standing patient-centered applications include pain management, physical therapy, psychotherapy, treating neurological conditions, and promoting healthy behaviors. Recent improvements in tracking, hardware fit, and increased mobility in consumer VR have increased the range of potential applications. System requirements are a key consideration for the design and use of such VR experiences. This chapter will present current patient-centered VR interventions through the lens of system requirements and conclude with a discussion on the future directions of clinical VR based on what equipment is now, and is becoming, available.