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Cited by 71Down syndrome and intellectual disability researchVirtual Reality Applications and ImpactsHealth Literacy and Information Accessibility

Using Virtual Reality to Provide Health Care Information to People With Intellectual Disabilities: Acceptability, Usability, and Potential Utility

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Hall, Valerie, Conboy-Hill, Suzanne, Taylor, Dave·2011·Journal of Medical Internet Research
DOI 10.2196/jmir.1917PMC PMC3222201
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: People with intellectual disabilities have poor access to health care, which may be further compromised by a lack of accessible health information. To be effective, health information must be easily understood and remembered. People with intellectual disabilities learn better from multimodal information sources, and virtual reality offers a 3-dimensional (3D) computer-generated environment that can be used for providing information and learning. To date, research into virtual reality experiences for people with intellectual disabilities has been limited to skill-based training and leisure opportunities within the young to mid age ranges. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the acceptability, usability, and potential utility of a virtual reality experience as a means of providing health care-related information to people with intellectual disabilities. We designed a prototype multimodal experience based on a hospital scenario and situated on an island in the Second Life 3D virtual world. We wanted to know how people of different ages and with varying levels of cognitive function would participate in the customized virtual environment, what they understood from being there, and what they remembered a week later. METHODS: The study drew on qualitative data. We used a participatory research approach that involved working alongside people with intellectual disabilities and their supporters in a community setting. Cognitive function was assessed, using the Matrix Analogies Test and the British Picture Vocabulary Scale, to describe the sample. Participants, supported by facilitators, were video recorded accessing and engaging with the virtual environment. We assessed recall 1 week later, using a specialized interview technique. Data were downloaded into NVivo 8 and analyzed using the framework analysis technique. RESULTS: Study participants were 20 people aged between 20 and 80 years with mild to severe intellectual disabilities. All participants were able to access the environment and voluntarily stayed there for between 23 and 57 minutes. With facilitator support, all participants moved the avatar themselves. Participants engaged with the scenario as if they were actually there, indicating cognitive presence. Some referred back to previous medical experiences, indicating the potential for experiential knowledge to become the foundation of new learning and retention of knowledge. When interviewed, all participants remembered some aspects of the environment. CONCLUSIONS: A sample of adults with intellectual disabilities of all ages, and with varying levels of cognitive function, accessed and enjoyed a virtual-world environment that drew on a health care-related scenario, and remembered aspects of it a week later. The small sample size limits generalizability of findings, but the potential shown for experiential learning to aid retention of knowledge on which consent is based appears promising. Successfully delivering health care-related information in a non-National Health Service setting indicates potential for delivery in institutional, community, or home settings, thereby widening access to the information.

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  1. [9]Cromby JJ Standen PJ Newman J Tasker H Successful transfer to the real world of skills practised in a virtual environment by students with severe learning difficulties Proceedings 1996 First European Conference on Disability, Virtual Reality and Associated Technologies July 8-10, 1996 Maidenhead, UK
  2. [30]Barfield W Zeltzer D Sheridan T Slater M Presence and performance within virtual environments Barfield W, Furness III T, editors. Virtual Environments and Advanced Interface Design 1995 New York, NY Oxford University Press 473 513
  3. [41]Johnson-Greene D Evolving standards for informed consent: is it time for an individualized and flexible approach? Bersoff DN, editor. Ethical Conflicts in Psychology, 4th edition 2008 Washington, DC American Psychological Association 337 8

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Authors
Hall, V., Conboy-Hill, S., & Taylor, D.
Affiliations
  • University of Brighton (GB)
  • Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • Imperial College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Hall, Valerie
Venue
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Publisher
JMIR Publications Inc.
Published
2011-11-14
Volume
13
Issue
4
Pages
e91
ISSN
1438-8871 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2196/jmir.1917
PMC
PMC3222201
OpenAlex
W2100500036
Cited by
71
References
36
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 2
FWCI
3.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Journal of Medical Internet Research (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Brighton Repository (University of Brighton) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • National Institute for Health and Care Research (II-FS-0908-10011)
  • Imperial College London
  • University of Brighton
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Down syndrome and intellectual disability research
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Literacy and Information Accessibility
Keywords
intellectual disability, virtual reality, health information, accessible health information, Second Life, virtual worlds, experiential learning, knowledge retention, acceptability, usability, multimodal learning, cognitive function
MeSH terms
Achievement, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Computer Simulation, Delivery of Health Care, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Learning, Male, Intellectual Disability, Middle Aged, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, User-Computer Interface, Knowledge, Internet, Young Adult

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