Healthcare Professionals’ Perspectives on Immersive Virtual Reality for Rehabilitation and Patient Engagement in a Post-Acute Community Setting: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Abstract
Background: Immersive virtual reality (VR) may support rehabilitation and patient engagement; however, little is known about how frontline healthcare professionals perceive its clinical relevance and feasibility in post-acute community care settings. This study explored healthcare professionals’ perceptions of the potential clinical uses, usability, and implementation requirements of patient-facing immersive VR in a community hospital providing post-acute care in Singapore. Methods: Using purposive sampling, nineteen healthcare professionals from a subacute hospital in Singapore participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Participants discussed their expectations of VR, experienced approximately 10–15 min of a reminiscence-oriented virtual tour of a local (now defunct) village, using an Oculus Quest head-mounted display, and subsequently reflected on its usability and potential applications. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 informed the interview guide and was used as a sensitising framework. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using hybrid deductive–inductive framework analysis. Results: Four themes were identified: (1) clinical value was conditional on therapeutic relevance; (2) anticipated patient acceptability depended on person–content fit and social context; (3) simple navigation did not remove physical and sensory barriers; and (4) clinical integration required a supporting service model. Conclusions: Healthcare professionals viewed immersive VR as potentially useful but not yet ready for routine clinical implementation. Adoption in post-acute care should be guided by therapeutic purpose, accessibility, and integration into existing workflows rather than technological novelty alone. Future research and development should prioritise co-designed therapeutic content, patient selection, accessibility, workflow integration, and implementation support.