Patient Experiences and Preliminary Effects of Virtual Reality Based Pain Treatment in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients With Persistent Pain Despite Low Disease Activity: A Mixed Method Pilot Study

Objective This study aimed to examine the acceptability, usability, patient perceptions and preliminary effects of a virtual reality (VR) based pain management programme for people with rheumatoid arthritis with persistent pain despite low disease activity. Methods This study used a two‐phase mixed‐methods approach with questionnaires and qualitative interviews. During the first phase of this study, 21 participants completed the virtual reality sickness questionnaire (VRSQ) and a 0‐10 NRS pain before and after using the VR programme once. Semi‐structured individual interviews were conducted on the perceptions of patients. In the second phase of the study, five participants used the VR programme for 8 weeks at home. Participants answered a NRS pain twice a week and the VRSQ, ASES and SF‐36 before and after the experiment. Results In the first phase, a clinically meaningful reduction in pain intensity was observed in 10% of participants after one session of VR. Virtual reality sickness symptoms worsened for some and improved in others. Participants found the programme usable. Patients perceived relaxing and distracting effects. In the second phase, the median NRS pain intensity decreased by one point. Quality of life appeared to improve in the physical domain, whereas self‐efficacy remained stable. Virtual reality sickness symptoms remained stable or showed slight improvements overall. Conclusion The VR‐based pain management programme was considered acceptable and usable by most people with RA. The programme also tended to slightly reduce pain. A larger randomised controlled trial is needed to determine the effectiveness of the programme.