Acceptability of a Clinician-led Virtual Reality Pain Education (CLeVR PainEd) program: mixed methods evaluation for adults with persistent pain

Objectives Pain science education (PSE) is recognized as central to treating persistent pain; however, it does not always sufficiently modify beliefs and behaviors. Virtual reality (VR) may offer significant benefits as an immersive and interactive medium to enhance educational interventions. This mixed-methods study explores perceptions of acceptability, tolerability, and utility from adults with persistent pain who participated in a clinician-led VR pain education intervention (CLeVR PainEd). Methods Adults who were randomized to the CLeVR PainEd intervention in a three-arm controlled trial at a tertiary-level public sector persistent pain service participated in this study. The intervention comprised six 1-h clinician-led sessions using a VR pain education platform plus reflective workbook activities. Semi-structured interviews were completed at the end of session six and were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Satisfaction with Treatment and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scales were collected post-intervention and summarized using descriptive statistics . Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated for complementarity. Results Of a sample of 83, 28 participants were randomized to the CLeVR PainEd intervention, from an estimated sample size of n=30 for each arm (female 57%; mean age 53 yeas; 61% pain duration >5 years) Satisfaction with intervention was high (4.4/5) and impression of change scores indicated benefit, with 48% of participants reporting that overall improvement reached meaningful thresholds. Key themes related to acceptability ( Fun way to learn and recommended for others ), tolerability ( Just right for someone like me), utility ( Learning about pain changed my pain management ), and additional themes ( Clinician involvement pivotal; Engaging learning environment in VR ) offered further insight into experiences. Discussion A clinician-delivered VR pain education program was highly acceptable, well tolerated, and was reported as beneficial for people with persistent pain. Immersive VR was perceived as helpful for learning new information about pain, an engaging way to increase movement, and holds promise for enhancing pain education. Clinical Trial Registration http://www.anzctr.org.au , identifier ACTRN 12623000745640.