Acceptability and perceived value of dementia caregiving simulations in virtual reality: insights from consultation focus groups.

Objectives

To understand the experiences and training needs of unpaid family caregivers of people living with dementia and to capture caregivers' and interest holders' (i.e. clinicians, researchers, and VR developers) perspectives on barriers and facilitators to implementing a virtual reality (VR) simulation caregiver-training platform (VR-SIM Carers).

Design

Exploratory qualitative multi-perspective study using focus groups and inductive thematic analysis (constant comparative method).

Setting

Consultation event conducted via Zoom for Healthcare™ in Ontario, Canada.

Participants

Twenty-four adults (67% women): unpaid family caregivers of a person with dementia (n = 10), standardized patients (n = 4), and clinicians/researchers/VR developers ("interest-holders"; n = 10) recruited purposively through partner organizations.

Measurements

Focus groups; themes derived through coding by multiple analysts with triangulation and iterative consensus.

Results

Four themes emerged: (1) caregiving is emotionally taxing and caregivers experience the need for support and training; (2) perception of role of technology in caregiver training differed between groups; (3) recommendations for a VR caregiver immersive virtual learning environment (iVLE), and (4) implementation of VR caregiver iVLE.

Conclusions

The value of VR-based simulation for dementia caregiver training depends on alignment with caregivers' lived experiences, priorities, and capacities. Incorporating caregivers' and interest-holders' perspectives is essential, as misalignment can shape acceptability and uptake and should guide co-design and community implementation of VR-SIM Carers.