Date of Award
2016
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree Name
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Sclinda Janssen
Keywords
Evidence Based Practice--instrumentation; Occupational Therapy--methods; Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy--methods
Abstract
Problem: Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that serves to position the user in control of a virtual environment to maximize interest and function. VR is a context for intervention included in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process 3rd edition (OTPF-3; AOTA, 2014). It is crucial that occupational therapy (OT) practitioners enhance their knowledge about VR technology used by their clients to provide effective client-centered practice (AOTA, 2010). There is a lack of organization of the literature and research evidence regarding the use of VR as an intervention modality. While there has been a significant increase in recent literature supporting the use of VR in OT, there is a need for manuals and resources to guide clinicians in using VR as a therapeutic modality (Levac & Miller, 2013; Proffitt & Lange, 2015).
Methods: An extensive literature review for articles regarding the use of the Xbox Kinect and Nintendo Wii within OT was conducted using five databases. Relevant data was extracted from each article related to the use of the Xbox Kinect or Nintendo Wii in intervention to synthesize the findings into charts. The construction of the charts followed the organization of the OTPF-3 (AOTA, 2014).
Product: The authors of this product created an evidence-based resource to guide OT practitioners' use of VR. The intended purpose of this product, Virtual Reality: An Evidence-Based Guide, is to assist OT practitioners' adaptation and/or modification of VR activities to address individual client needs. Using this product as a guide to current knowledge and evidence regarding intervention in the context of VR, OT practitioners will be better equipped to make safe and effective choices. To further support development of literature regarding VR, the authors of this product recommended areas for future research.
Recommended Citation
Mitchell, Grant and Nelson, Kyle, "Virtual Reality: An Evidence-Based Guide for Occupational Therapy" (2016). Occupational Therapy Capstones. 140.
https://commons.und.edu/ot-grad/140