OncoVR - Virtual Reality in Oncology for Patient-centered Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

1Due to the significant research effort in the field of virtual reality (VR) and the increasing interest of the gaming industry, the technical possibilities have developed rapidly. In recent years, VR applications have become more extensive, the devices more convenient and less complex to handle. As a result, the benefits of VR have long since arrived in the clinical field and are being used in various areas. However, since VR has not yet made it into everyday use, average patients are not experienced in using these devices. In the past, VR applications for oncology patients have already been used to improve well-being and reduce stress, anxiety and nausea during therapy, surgery and diagnostic procedures. Oncology is particularly well suited to psychological VR applications because cancer can be a potentially traumatic experience that has a strong impact on the patients mental state, and because the mental state can also have a strong influence on the success of the therapy. In addition, oncological therapies are usually a long-term treatment, which is why studies on the extensive use of VR are a suitable option. This systematic review summarizes the current state of research in this area and discusses the possibilities for using VR in patient-centered care in oncology.