{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,27]],"date-time":"2026-10-27T23:44:36Z","timestamp":1793144676946,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]],"date-time":"2024-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1730678400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]],"date-time":"2024-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1730678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100018936","name":"Universit\u00e4tsklinikum Heidelberg","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100018936","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["BMC Palliat Care"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Many palliative cancer patients require inpatient hospital treatment for medical reasons, which contrasts their frequent desire to be at home. Virtual reality (VR) could be a way of bringing the home environment closer to them. First observations have shown benefits from VR for inpatients in palliative care. The aim of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore the expectations of in-patients suffering from incurable cancer and their relatives about VR, in particular individualized VR images of the patients\u2019 own home.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Semi-structured interviews with inpatients suffering from incurable cancers and their relatives in three medical settings (palliative care, hematology, radiotherapy) of a German university hospital. Qualitative content analysis about expected benefits and concerns regarding VR-videos showing their private home; defining the main topics deductively and the subcategories inductively. We also assessed the patients\u2019 subjective perspective on their remaining time to live to estimate the impact of double awareness on the results. The Patient Advisory Board informed the study protocol and conduct.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>We interviewed 15 patients (8 men; age M\u2009=\u200963.4, SD\u2009=\u200911.34; range 39\u201382) under palliative care, and four relatives. We organized the interview content in 6 themes (general interest, desired content, non-desired content, expected benefits, concerns, and irregularities) and 26 sub-themes. Most patients and relatives were interested in using VR during hospital treatment. They often preferred viewing nature or tourist sites over seeing their home or family. Reasons could be linked to privacy concerns and the general desire for distraction from the current situation that they specified with their expectation of well-being, a break from the patient-experience, the pursue of curiosity, and the VR evoking fond memories.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>VR seems to be of interest for palliative cancer patients, especially as distraction and relief from their illness. The desired content can be very different, so a choice from a selection of VR-content should be made available. If patients want to see videos of their own home, recordings by relatives instead of study or hospital staff seem to meet the need for privacy.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec><jats:sec>\n                <jats:title>Trial registration<\/jats:title>\n                <jats:p>Registered at Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien; registration number: DRKS00032172; registration date: 11\/07\/2023. https:\/\/drks.de\/search\/de\/trial\/DRKS00032172.<\/jats:p>\n              <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1186\/s12904-024-01557-6","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]],"date-time":"2024-11-04T04:26:19Z","timestamp":1730694379000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Expected benefits and concerns regarding virtual reality in caring for terminally ill cancer patients \u2013 a qualitative interview study"],"prefix":"10.1186","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Anja","family":"Greinacher","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bernd","family":"Alt-Epping","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christina","family":"Gerlach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cornelia","family":"Wrzus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]]},"reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"1557_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"974","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2014.11.291","volume":"49","author":"HM Chochinov","year":"2015","unstructured":"Chochinov HM, McClement S, Hack T, Thompson G, Dufault B, Harlos M. Eliciting personhood within clinical practice: effects on patients, families, and health care providers. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2015;49(6):974\u201380. e972.","journal-title":"J Pain Symptom Manag"},{"issue":"2","key":"1557_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1037\/int0000078","volume":"28","author":"K Colosimo","year":"2018","unstructured":"Colosimo K, Nissim R, Pos AE, Hales S, Zimmermann C, Rodin G. Double awareness in psychotherapy for patients living with advanced cancer. J Psychother Integr. 2018;28(2):125.","journal-title":"J Psychother Integr"},{"issue":"1","key":"1557_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1521\/jaap.2008.36.1.181","volume":"36","author":"G Rodin","year":"2008","unstructured":"Rodin G, Zimmermann C. Psychoanalytic reflections on mortality: a reconsideration. J Am Acad Psychoanal Dynamic Psychiatry. 2008;36(1):181\u201396.","journal-title":"J Am Acad Psychoanal Dynamic Psychiatry"},{"issue":"1","key":"1557_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/1472-684X-12-7","volume":"12","author":"B Gomes","year":"2013","unstructured":"Gomes B, Calanzani N, Gysels M, Hall S, Higginson IJ. Heterogeneity and changes in preferences for dying at home: a systematic review. BMC Palliat care. 2013;12(1):1\u201313.","journal-title":"BMC Palliat care"},{"issue":"6749","key":"1557_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.301.6749.415","volume":"301","author":"J Townsend","year":"1990","unstructured":"Townsend J, Frank A, Fermont D, Dyer S, Karran O, Walgrove A, Piper M. Terminal cancer care and patients\u2019 preference for place of death: a prospective study. BMJ. 1990;301(6749):415\u20137.","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"1557_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ma M, Zheng H. Virtual reality and serious games in healthcare. Advanced computational intelligence paradigms in healthcare 6 Virtual reality in psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and assessment 2011:169\u2013192.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-17824-5_9"},{"issue":"6","key":"1557_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1040","DOI":"10.1093\/tbm\/ibz068","volume":"9","author":"S Persky","year":"2019","unstructured":"Persky S, Lewis MA. Advancing science and practice using immersive virtual reality: what behavioral medicine has to offer. Translational Behav Med. 2019;9(6):1040\u20136.","journal-title":"Translational Behav Med"},{"issue":"9","key":"1557_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"858","DOI":"10.1097\/AJP.0000000000000599","volume":"34","author":"P Indovina","year":"2018","unstructured":"Indovina P, Barone D, Gallo L, Chirico A, De Pietro G, Giordano A. Virtual reality as a distraction intervention to relieve pain and distress during medical procedures: a comprehensive literature review. Clin J Pain. 2018;34(9):858\u201377.","journal-title":"Clin J Pain"},{"key":"1557_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2508","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2018.02508","volume":"9","author":"B Atzori","year":"2018","unstructured":"Atzori B, Hoffman HG, Vagnoli L, Patterson DR, Alhalabi W, Messeri A, Lauro Grotto R. Virtual reality analgesia during venipuncture in pediatric patients with onco-hematological diseases. Front Psychol. 2018;9:2508.","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"1557_CR10","unstructured":"Hoffmann S. Somatisierungsst\u00f6rung und somatoforme St\u00f6rungen - Herkunft der Konzepte und ihre Abbildung in den neuen diagnostischen Glossaren. In: Somatoforme St\u00f6rungen: Theoretisches Verst\u00e4ndnis und therapeutische Praxis. edn. Edited by Rudolf G, Henningsen P. Stuttgart: Schattauer; 1998: 3\u201312."},{"issue":"5","key":"1557_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"395","DOI":"10.1097\/BCR.0000000000000019","volume":"35","author":"D Jeffs","year":"2014","unstructured":"Jeffs D, Dorman D, Brown S, Files A, Graves T, Kirk E, Meredith-Neve S, Sanders J, White B, Swearingen CJ. Effect of virtual reality on adolescent pain during burn wound care. J Burn Care Res. 2014;35(5):395\u2013408.","journal-title":"J Burn Care Res"},{"issue":"6","key":"1557_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e24967","DOI":"10.2196\/24967","volume":"23","author":"B Ridout","year":"2021","unstructured":"Ridout B, Kelson J, Campbell A, Steinbeck K. Effectiveness of virtual reality interventions for adolescent patients in hospital settings: systematic review. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(6):e24967.","journal-title":"J Med Internet Res"},{"issue":"4","key":"1557_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"487","DOI":"10.1037\/rep0000239","volume":"63","author":"M Soltani","year":"2018","unstructured":"Soltani M, Drever SA, Hoffman HG, Sharar SR, Wiechman SA, Jensen MP, Patterson DR. Virtual reality analgesia for burn joint flexibility: a randomized controlled trial. Rehabil Psychol. 2018;63(4):487.","journal-title":"Rehabil Psychol"},{"key":"1557_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"225475","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2020.3044233","volume":"8","author":"M Pittara","year":"2020","unstructured":"Pittara M, Matsangidou M, Stylianides K, Petkov N, Pattichis CS. Virtual reality for pain management in cancer: a comprehensive review. IEEE Access. 2020;8:225475\u201389.","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"issue":"12","key":"1557_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1488","DOI":"10.1177\/1049909121994299","volume":"38","author":"M Perna","year":"2021","unstructured":"Perna M, Letizia MSW, Lund S, White N, Minton O. The potential of personalized virtual reality in palliative care: a feasibility trial. Am J Hospice Palliat Medicine\u00ae. 2021;38(12):1488\u201394.","journal-title":"Am J Hospice Palliat Medicine\u00ae"},{"issue":"7","key":"1557_CR16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1047","DOI":"10.1177\/02692163221099584","volume":"36","author":"J Mo","year":"2022","unstructured":"Mo J, Vickerstaff V, Minton O, Tavabie S, Taubert M, Stone P, White N. How effective is virtual reality technology in palliative care? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Palliat Med. 2022;36(7):1047\u201358.","journal-title":"Palliat Med"},{"key":"1557_CR17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"205520762312075","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076231207574","volume":"9","author":"M Moloney","year":"2023","unstructured":"Moloney M, Doody O, O\u2019Reilly M, Lucey M, Callinan J, Exton C, Colreavy S, O\u2019Mahony F, Meskell P, Coffey A. Virtual reality use and patient outcomes in palliative care: a scoping review. Digit Health. 2023;9:20552076231207574.","journal-title":"Digit Health"},{"key":"1557_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Martin JL, Saredakis D, Hutchinson AD, Crawford GB, Loetscher T. Virtual reality in palliative care: a systematic review. Healthcare: 2022. MDPI; 2022. p. 1222.","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare10071222"},{"key":"1557_CR19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fedorovskaya EA, Miller P, Prabhu G, Horwitz C, Matraszek T, Parks P, Blazey R, Endrikhovski S. Affective imaging: psychological and physiological reactions to individually chosen images. Human vision and electronic imaging VI: 2001. SPIE; 2001. pp. 524\u201332.","DOI":"10.1117\/12.429524"},{"key":"1557_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sekhavat YA, Nomani P. A comparison of active and Passive virtual reality exposure scenarios to elicit social anxiety. Int J Serious Games 2017, 4(2).","DOI":"10.17083\/ijsg.v4i2.154"},{"issue":"1","key":"1557_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1186\/s12904-023-01297-z","volume":"22","author":"C Gerlach","year":"2023","unstructured":"Gerlach C, Greinacher A, Alt-Epping B, Wrzus C. My virtual home: needs of patients in palliative cancer care and content effects of individualized virtual reality\u2013a mixed methods study protocol. BMC Palliat Care. 2023;22(1):167.","journal-title":"BMC Palliat Care"},{"issue":"6","key":"1557_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/mzm042","volume":"19","author":"A Tong","year":"2007","unstructured":"Tong A, Sainsbury P, Craig J. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int J Qual Health Care. 2007;19(6):349\u201357.","journal-title":"Int J Qual Health Care"},{"key":"1557_CR23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Knox S, Burkard AW. Qualitative research interviews: an update. Quantitative and qualitative methods in psychotherapy research. edn.: Routledge; 2014. pp. 342\u201354.","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203386071-21"},{"key":"1557_CR24","unstructured":"Kuckartz U. Qualitative inhaltsanalyse: methoden, praxis, computerunterst\u00fctzung. Beltz Juventa; 2012."},{"issue":"3","key":"1557_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1006\/jevp.2001.0221","volume":"21","author":"MC Hidalgo","year":"2001","unstructured":"Hidalgo MC, Hernandez B. Place attachment: conceptual and empirical questions. J Environ Psychol. 2001;21(3):273\u201381.","journal-title":"J Environ Psychol"},{"issue":"2","key":"1557_CR26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.1174\/217119711795712513","volume":"2","author":"C Ruiz","year":"2011","unstructured":"Ruiz C, Hern\u00e1ndez B, Hidalgo MC. Confirmation of the factorial structure of neighbourhood attachment and neighbourhood identity scale. Psyecology. 2011;2(2):207\u201315.","journal-title":"Psyecology"},{"issue":"6","key":"1557_CR27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"702","DOI":"10.1089\/jpm.2018.0527","volume":"22","author":"K Niki","year":"2019","unstructured":"Niki K, Okamoto Y, Maeda I, Mori I, Ishii R, Matsuda Y, Takagi T, Uejima E. A novel palliative care approach using virtual reality for improving various symptoms of terminal cancer patients: a preliminary prospective, multicenter study. J Palliat Med. 2019;22(6):702\u20137.","journal-title":"J Palliat Med"},{"key":"1557_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Moon NO, Henstridge-Blows JR, Sprecher EA, Thomas E, Byfield A, McGrane J. \u2018Godrevy Project\u2019: virtual reality for symptom control and well-being in oncology and palliative care\u2013a non-randomised pre-post interventional trial. BMJ Oncol 2023, 2(1).","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjonc-2023-000160"},{"issue":"1","key":"1557_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjspcare-2020-002327","volume":"14","author":"AC Nwosu","year":"2024","unstructured":"Nwosu AC, Mills M, Roughneen S, Stanley S, Chapman L, Mason SR. Virtual reality in specialist palliative care: a feasibility study to enable clinical practice adoption. BMJ Supportive Palliat care. 2024;14(1):47\u201351.","journal-title":"BMJ Supportive Palliat care"},{"issue":"3","key":"1557_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"331","DOI":"10.1037\/0882-7974.7.3.331","volume":"7","author":"LL Carstensen","year":"1992","unstructured":"Carstensen LL. Social and emotional patterns in adulthood: support for socioemotional selectivity theory. Psychol Aging. 1992;7(3):331.","journal-title":"Psychol Aging"},{"issue":"8","key":"1557_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1185","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-019-0543-y","volume":"25","author":"P Kellmeyer","year":"2019","unstructured":"Kellmeyer P, Biller-Andorno N, Meynen G. Ethical tensions of virtual reality treatment in vulnerable patients. Nat Med. 2019;25(8):1185\u20138.","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"key":"1557_CR32","unstructured":"World Medical Association. Declaration of Helsinki: ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. 64th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil. WMA [Web Site] Outubro; 2013."}],"container-title":["BMC Palliative Care"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12904-024-01557-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1186\/s12904-024-01557-6\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1186\/s12904-024-01557-6.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,5]],"date-time":"2024-11-05T19:02:04Z","timestamp":1730833324000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmcpalliatcare.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12904-024-01557-6"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12]]}},"alternative-id":["1557"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s12904-024-01557-6","relation":{},"ISSN":["1472-684X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1472-684X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]]},"assertion":[{"value":"7 June 2024","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"10 September 2024","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"4 November 2024","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg (application no. S-127\/2023). Participation was voluntary; all participants signed written informed consent to participate. Participants can terminate their participation at any time without giving reasons, without disadvantages, especially for their further care. This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki [] and registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien; DRKS00032172).","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}],"article-number":"254"}}