Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Simulation Prototype for Families of Children Undergoing Congenital Heart Surgery

This project delves deep into how virtual reality could help prepare parents for the unfamiliar environment their child may encounter after congenital heart surgery. It was developed in collaboration with the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, under supervisors Dr Matthieu Poyade and Dr Edward Peng, with clinical collaboration from Dr Vivian Bader, Dr Nicole Perry and Nurse Educator Marie McGale. A detailed post-operative paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) was recreated using clinical observation, reference photographs, literature and continuous clinical feedback. The immersive experience allows users to explore the space and become familiar with the medical equipment, tubes, wires, alarms and visual complexity surrounding an infant patient. The prototype was evaluated by 24 experienced registered cardiac and PICU nurses for perceived presence, usability, physical comfort, clinical realism and acceptability. The findings were overall positive, as the overall results support its further development and future evaluation with parents as a potential pre-admission familiarisation tool.