Effect of Virtual Reality on Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients

Overview

Due to advances in medical technology and accessible health services, the prognosis of diseases has improved and the need for care has increased, and primary caregivers have experienced the increased burden of caring for family members for a long time. Because the patient is primarily responsible for continuing patient care in palliative care units and then at home, and especially because they have problems in psychological, social and financial support, caregivers within the family are considered as second-degree patients or occult patients. Studies have shown that caregivers have a significant burden of care, therefore they experience serious depression, anxiety and physical problems, isolate themselves from society, and their quality of life decreases significantly. In recent years, the use of virtual reality, which shows itself in different application areas in the field of health as a safe and useful system, has become widespread. Considering the use of virtual reality in the field of health; It is seen that it is mostly preferred for pain management, physical condition improvement, blood collection, burn treatment, and psychological disorder.

Palliative care; It is a multidisciplinary approach that includes interventions to prevent complications and improve the quality of life of people with severe illness. Regardless of the level of development, palliative care units provide service in all countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the aim of palliative care is not only to improve the quality of life of patients but also to support caregivers. Care burden is defined as negative subjective and objective consequences such as physical health problems, psychological distress, economic and social problems, deterioration of family relationships and loss of control. The caregiver feels obliged to provide the patient's treatment, personal care and psychosocial support. The physical, economic and moral burden on the caregiver can negatively affect the caregiver socially, psychologically and physically over time. Caregivers of palliative care patients have an important responsibility. The relationship between providing care and receiving care is in a delicate balance. caring for the patient; it turns into a dependent, intense, long-term and unilateral obligation. These adversely affect the caregiver's quality of life. In addition to the problems of patient care, caregivers also experience problems such as physical problems, fatigue, sleep disorders, behavioral changes, and loss of social roles. As a result, psychological and emotional disorders may occur in the caregiver. Eliminating the symptoms experienced by the caregiver and improving their quality of life are very important in the caregiving process. The concept of virtual reality is defined as the combination of reality and imagination by transferring various realities to digital media and using special technological devices thanks to technological tools. The use of virtual reality in the field of health has become widespread and can be used for different purposes. Virtual reality application is most commonly used in patients for pain management, exercise training, burn treatments and psychological disorders. Looking at the literature, watching nature scenes; It has been observed that it reduces blood pressure and heart rate and respiratory rate in people, reduces stress and brain activity, and provides relaxation. No study has been found in the literature on caregivers who underwent virtual reality intervention. In this study, it is aimed to increase the mental well-being and quality of life of the relatives of patients who care for palliative care patients with virtual reality application.