Virtual Reality Education for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients Improves Intrinsic Motivation: A Prospective, Randomized Crossover Study

Hospitalized children experience educational disruption and reduced motivation during prolonged admissions. Despite the availability of in-hospital schools, many cannot participate due to illness severity or isolation precautions. This pragmatic, randomized crossover trial evaluated whether bedside virtual reality (VR) lessons improve intrinsic motivation among inpatients aged 5 to 25 years unable to attend the hospital school. Participants completed both VR-based educational sessions and standard of care (SOC) conditions on consecutive days. The primary outcome was intrinsic motivation, with secondary outcomes including educational self-efficacy, well-being, self-esteem, and parental experience. Of 156 enrolled patients, 100 were analyzed (mean age 11.5 [SD = 4.1 years]; 43.9% female). Intrinsic motivation scores were higher in the VR condition than SOC ( P = .0048), and parental satisfaction was also greater ( P = .0008). Bedside VR education represents a feasible, acceptable, and scalable adjunct to inpatient learning, supporting intrinsic motivation and caregiver satisfaction during hospitalization. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05725395, date first registered November 22, 2022.