Feasibility, Subjective Effectiveness, and Acceptance of Short Virtual Reality Relaxation Breaks for Immediate Perceived Stress Reduction in Emergency Physicians: Single-Arm Pre-Post Intervention Study.

BACKGROUND

Emergency physicians face significant stress in their daily work, adversely affecting patient care and contributing to physician burnout.

OBJECTIVE

This pilot study explored the feasibility, immediate effects, and acceptance of virtual reality (VR) relaxation on perceived stress reduction among emergency physicians.

METHODS

The study was conducted at the Department of Emergency Medicine, Bern, Switzerland, in February 2023. All junior and senior physicians were eligible, excluding those with epilepsy, claustrophobia, or severe nausea. Voluntary participants underwent a 6- to 8-minute VR meditation program at their workplace. Subjective short-term stress reduction was measured using a numeric rating scale (NRS) ranging from 0 ("not at all stressed") to 10 ("extremely stressed"). Feasibility, user acceptance, and technical aspects were evaluated using validated and self-constructed questionnaires.

RESULTS

In total, 35 emergency physicians (median [IQR] age, 32 [30-34] years, 60% female) completed 39 VR simulation sessions. Baseline stress levels (median NRS 4, IQR 2-6.5) were significantly reduced post-intervention (median NRS 2, IQR 1-4; P<.001), particularly among participants with high baseline stress levels. Reported side effects (simulator sickness) were minimal; the median score of presence and immersion according to the questionnaire developed by Slater-Usoh-Steed was 4 (IQR 3-4) (scale 1-7, with 7=full immersion). User satisfaction was high. Implementation challenges mainly included technical issues and time constraints due to high workload.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study suggests that brief, relaxing VR sessions may help reduce short-term perceived stress levels in emergency physicians with minimal side effects and high user satisfaction. Future studies should address implementation challenges to optimize integration with clinical workflows.