Efficacy of VR Educational Program on Empathy and Attitudes Toward Dementia in Caregivers

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study aims to evaluate the effect of VR educational program on improving attitude and empathy toward dementia among caregivers. We plan to recruit around 600 participants and randomly assign them to either a control group or an experimental group. The experimental group will participate in a dementia educational program combining VR lasting approximately 2-3 hours. Data would be collected from related questionnaires to investigate whether combining VR with dementia education can effectively improve participants' empathy and attitude toward dementia.

Detailed Description
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This study aims to evaluate the effect of VR educational program on improving attitude and empathy toward dementia among caregivers. We plan to recruit around 600 participants and randomly assign them to either a control group or an experimental group. The control group will receive traditional education on dementia which is primarily taught by instructors. The experimental group will participate in a dementia educational program combining VR lasting approximately 2-3 hours. The virtual reality educational modules predominantly offer first-person narratives that delineate various symptoms associated with dementia. Before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after the traditional and VR educational program, all participants will be asked to complete questionnaires about dementia empathy and attitude to explore whether combining VR with dementia education can effectively improve participants' empathy and attitude toward dementia.

Official Title
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Efficacy of Virtual Reality Educational Program on Empathy and Attitudes Toward Dementia in Caregivers

Conditions
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Dementia, Caregiver Burden

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: The virtual reality educational modules


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Over 20 years; Speak Chinese; Take care of people with dementia currently. Exclusion Criteria: Those who are unable to use VR devices due to certain physical or mental situations; Those who have fear/disgust for VR devices; Those who feel dizzy after using VR devices; The individual with dementia is currently residing in a care facility.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 20 Years
Maximum Age: 100 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Dementia VR education<br>The experimental group will participate in a dementia educational program combining VR lasting approximately 2-3 hours.The virtual reality educational modules predominantly offer first-person narratives that delineate various symptoms associated with dementia. | Other: The virtual reality educational modules<br>* The experimental group will participate in a dementia education program combining VR lasting approximately 2-3 hours. The virtual reality educational modules predominantly offer first-person narratives that delineate various symptoms associated with dementia.<br>|
| No Intervention: Traditional dementia education (lecture)<br>The control group will receive traditional education on dementia which is primarily taught by instructors. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Empathy, measured by Jefferson Scale of Empathy | Empathy is one of the major outcomes which we expect to be improved after the VR education program on dementia. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE): This scale is used to assess the empathy of healthcare professionals. It is rated on a Likert seven-point scale, with 1 indicating strongly disagree and 7 indicating strongly agree. The scale consists of 20 items and is divided into three major dimensions: perspective taking, compassionate care, and standing in the patient's shoes. The total score ranges from 20 to 140, with higher scores indicating a more positive level of empathy. | Immediate post-test | 
| Change in Empathy, measured by Jefferson Scale of Empathy at 1 month | Empathy is one of the major outcomes which we expect to be improved after the VR education program on dementia. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE): This scale is used to assess the empathy of healthcare professionals. It is rated on a Likert seven-point scale, with 1 indicating strongly disagree and 7 indicating strongly agree. The scale consists of 20 items and is divided into three major dimensions: perspective taking, compassionate care, and standing in the patient's shoes. The total score ranges from 20 to 140, with higher scores indicating a more positive level of empathy. | 1 month follow-up | 
| Attitude, measured by Approach to Dementia Questionnaire | Approach is one of the major outcomes which we expect to be improved after the VR education program on dementia. The Approach to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ) Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ) is used to assess attitudes toward dementia care. The questionnaire consists of two dimensions: hope and person-centeredness, with a total of 19 items. It is rated on a Likert five-point scale, with 1 indicating strongly disagree and 5 indicating strongly agree. The total score ranges from 19 to 95, with higher scores indicating a more positive attitude of caregivers toward dementia care. | Immediate post-test | 
| Change in Attitude, measured by Approach to Dementia Questionnaire at 1 month | Approach is one of the major outcomes which we expect to be improved after the VR education program on dementia. The Approach to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ) is used to assess attitudes toward dementia care. The questionnaire consists of two dimensions: hope and person-centeredness, with a total of 19 items. It is rated on a Likert five-point scale, with 1 indicating strongly disagree and 5 indicating strongly agree. The total score ranges from 19 to 95, with higher scores indicating a more positive attitude of caregivers toward dementia care. | 1 month follow-up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Caregivers' burden, measuredn by Zarit Burden Interview | We also expect that caregivers' burden would be reduced after the VR education program on dementia. Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI): Developed by Zarit et al. in 1980, this inventory is used to measure negative emotions and perceived stress experienced by caregivers in the caregiving process. The ZBI consists of 22 items, and each item is rated on a scale of 0 to 4 based on the frequency of occurrence, ranging from never to routinely. The total score ranges from 0 to 88, with higher scores indicating a greater caregiver burden. Scores between 0 and 20 indicate no or minimal burden, scores between 21 and 40 indicate mild to moderate burden, scores between 41 and 60 indicate moderate to severe burden, and scores between 61 and 88 indicate severe burden. | 1 month follow-up | 
| Caregivers' mental health status, measured by Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5 | We also expect that caregivers' mental health status would be improved after the VR education program on dementia.The BSRS-5 is a concise self-administered questionnaire adapted from the 50-item brief symptom rating scale. It assesses anxiety, depression, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, and other symptoms, with scores for each item ranging from 0 to 4. A total BSRS-5 score exceeding 14 or a score of 1 or more on the suicide survey item may signal a severe mood disorder. Scores between 10 and 14 suggest moderate mood disorders, while scores between 6 and 9 may indicate mild mood disorders. | 1 month follow-up | 
| User experience interview of the VR education program on dementia | We would also collect user experience data from participants after the VR education program on dementia. | Immediate after the program |