Qualitative study explores preferences for a virtual reality intervention to reduce preoperative anxiety in adults, highlighting its co-design implications.
PURPOSE: This study aims to explore adults' preferences regarding a virtual reality-enhanced intervention designed to reduce preoperative anxiety for those undergoing elective surgery. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative design was employed. METHODS: A total of 30 elective surgical patients attending Nurse Pre-anesthetic Assessment Clinic were interviewed face-to-face individually using semistructured interview guide from September to December 2024. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed using a six-step reflexive thematic analysis. This study was reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. FINDINGS: Codebook and coding tree were provided for illustration. A total of 64 codes were identified, and similar codes were further collapsed into eight subthemes and three themes. Three themes emerged from participants' narratives, including (1) enhancing knowledge to tackle preoperative anxiety, (2) proposing essential content for preoperative education, and (3) aligning patient-centric design with desirable features. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a transferable methodological framework for the development of preoperative virtual reality-enhanced intervention for alleviating preoperative anxiety. While this research focuses on a specific cultural population, its significance resides in demonstrating a universal co-design paradigm that bridges the gap between technological innovation and patient-centered perianesthesia care.
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