October 2024

GERIATRICS

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF VIRTUAL REALITY IN GERIATRIC CARE

 Featuring: Diana S. Medved, APRN

At the 2024 Annual Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurse Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Northwestern Medicine Geriatrics nurse practitioner Diana S. Medved, APRN, was honored for her outstanding presentation, “Identifying Out-Of-The-Box Virtual Reality Applications for Geriatrics.” This presentation was among the highest-rated abstracts at the conference.
 
This groundbreaking initiative at Northwestern Medicine explored the use of all-in-one VR headsets to enhance geriatric care. Medved led an interdisciplinary panel of experts, including geriatric advanced practice nurses, geriatricians and health services researchers. Their mission was to identify VR applications that could benefit older adults, focusing on cost-free or low-cost options.
 
The panel analyzed and tested over 200 out-of-the-box VR applications, reviewing each app to assess usability and utility for older adults. They identified 44 applications with significant potential for geriatric care.
 
They categorized these applications into five categories based on price, ease of use and relevance to older adults:
  • Cognitive focused
  • Exercise
  • Action/adventure
  • Anti-anxiety/relaxation
  • Entertainment (sports, music)
 
This initiative highlights the substantial potential of out-of-the-box VR experiences in geriatric care. Identifying these applications is a crucial first step towards broader adoption. Future research will focus on testing these VR applications with older adults in various settings to understand their impact and refine their use to improve quality of life for older adults.
Diana S. Medved, APRN, researcher and Geriatrics nurse practitioner, Northwestern Medicine.

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