Usability, acceptability, and tolerability of a virtual reality patient tour compared to an educational video in cardiac surgery patients – A feasibility study

Two patient educational methods for preoperative cardiac surgery are educational video and Virtual Patient Tour (VPT). We have developed the VPT, the next step is to assess the feasibility. Our aim is to assess the usability, acceptability, and tolerability of the VPT, in comparison with the current standard educational method, the educational video, from a cardiac surgery patients' perspective. A single-centre, cross-sectional feasibility was conducted from February to June 2023. The System Usability Scale (SUS), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire (VRSQ) were used to assess the usability, acceptability, and tolerability. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics. Eighteen participants completed questionnaires. The educational video (78.9 ± 14.8) and the VPT (81.8 ± 15.3) both had high SUS scores, indicating high levels of usability. The UTAUT scores (educational video 59.9 ± 5.9; VPT 61.3 ± 5.7) indicated the acceptance of the educational methods. The low VRSQ score (12.5 ± 9.1) indicated that the VPT was tolerable. The educational video and the VPT were evaluated as usable, acceptable, and tolerable. VPT is a Virtual Reality experience that enhances patients' comprehension of hospital departments by providing a virtual reality experience. • Virtual Patient Tour (VPT) enhances patients' insight of the hospital divisions. • VPT and educational video are useful, acceptable, and tolerable education methods. • VPT can be considered to integrate to the standard care. • Further research needed to determine the optimal timing of delivering of the VPT.