Feasibility and Acceptability of Virtual Reality for Rehabilitation After Acute Stroke in Patients of Various Ages

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a devastating disease associated with long-term disability. Poststroke rehabilitation is tailored to improve the physical and cognitive functions of patients who have had a stroke. Virtual reality immerses users in experiences. There are no data supporting or refuting if a patient's age affects their willingness to use virtual reality as an adjunct to acute stroke rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To explore generational differences regarding the acceptability and feasibility of using virtual reality as an adjunct to existing poststroke rehabilitation modalities. METHODS: This was a prospective, nonrandomized, observational study of patients admitted to a critical care area with an acute stroke diagnosis. Patients wore a virtual reality headset and played a standardized virtual reality game for 5 minutes while in a hospital bed. They then completed the Acceptability of Intervention Measure and the Feasibility of Intervention Measure surveys. RESULTS: Of 30 consented patients, 5 opted out before the 5-minute mark and 25 completed the study. Nine patients (30%) were from Generation X, and 21 (70%) were baby boomers. The mean (SD) score on the Acceptability of Intervention Measure was similar for both Generation X and baby boomers (17.3 6.0 vs 16.9 4.2; P = .25), as was the mean (SD) score on the Feasibility of Intervention Measure (16.7 5.9 vs 16.5 3.4; P = .29). CONCLUSIONS: Virtual reality is feasible and acceptable for use in a critical care setting across generational cohorts.