Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the use of virtual reality for intensive care patients: A cross-sectional survey

INTRODUCTION: Despite improvements in hardware and software availability, and a growing body of research on the use of virtual reality (VR) in intensive care settings, significant barriers to its widespread adoption remain. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore intensive care unit healthcare providers' perceptions of the risks, concerns, and opportunities associated with the use of VR in the intensive care setting. METHODS: An online survey (QualtricsXM) focused on perceived relative and absolute contraindications to VR use, as well as perceived risks, safety and privacy concerns, their impact on implementation, and suggested research priorities was undertaken between February and December 2025. RESULTS: Within a cohort of 108 respondents, significant dispersion was observed between responses relating to relative and absolute contraindications. Professional differences were observed relating to the suitability of the use of VR for patients with a history of epilepsy. Similarly, significant dispersion was observed relating to perceived benefits of VR with relaxation, rehabilitation, patient education, and patient cognitive stimulation being perceived as extremely or very useful by more than 50% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights that intensive care unit healthcare professionals, with little VR experience, lack a cohesive perspective on the risks associated with VR use in this setting. Moving forward, the development of robust implementation strategies should be incorporated into VR research which address healthcare provider concerns and assist in the development of interprofessional clarity on the use of VR between healthcare providers.