2025/10/25 by Ma, Yajun
#FOS: Health sciences #Medicine and Health Sciences #Nursing #delirium #virtual reality
paper · doi:10.17605/osf.io/chx8p
Delirium is defined as acute cerebral dysfunction characterized by fluctuating disturbances in attention, awareness, and cognition over a short period of time[1]. All patients are at risk for delirium, although those with more vulnerabilities (e.g., advanced age, cognitive impairment, underlying diseases, major surgery, infection, metabolic disorder) are at higher risk[2]. Delirium occurs with striking frequency among postoperative patients and those in the intensive care unit (ICU), with studies indicating an incidence ranging from 18 to 33%[3-5]. Virtual reality (VR), an immersive technology that integrates visual, auditory, and interactive stimuli, has witnessed rapid uptake across various healthcare applications. VR technology has emerged as a promising solution to these challenges, particularly in high-risk delirium population. However, to date, no synthesis exists that systematically characterizes the scope, design, and outcomes of VR-based interventions in this context. This scoping review aims to systematically identify and describe the current landscape of VR applications for delirium prevention. Specifically, we seek to (1) map the characteristics of existing studies and integrate the populations, clinical settings, VR contents, frequency, length and outcome measures, (2) highlight research gaps and priorities for future investigation. Through this effort, we aim to provide healthcarers, researchers, and digital health developers with a foundational framework to support the design and implementation of VR strategies in delirium prevention.