Clinical trial NCT06072274: Efficacy of VR Educational Program on Empathy and Attitudes Toward Dementia in Caregivers
Official title: Efficacy of Virtual Reality Educational Program on Empathy and Attitudes Toward Dementia in Caregivers
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Dementia
Caregiver Burden
Lead sponsor: Taipei Medical University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-10-10
Enrollment: 600
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 20
Maximum age (years): 100
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: 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: 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.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Over 20 years;
2. Speak Chinese;
3. Take care of people with dementia currently.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Those who are unable to use VR devices due to certain physical or mental situations;
2. Those who have fear/disgust for VR devices;
3. Those who feel dizzy after using VR devices;
4. The individual with dementia is currently residing in a care facility.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Empathy, measured by Jefferson Scale of Empathy
timeFrame: Immediate post-test
measure: Change in Empathy, measured by Jefferson Scale of Empathy at 1 month
timeFrame: 1 month follow-up
measure: Attitude, measured by Approach to Dementia Questionnaire
timeFrame: Immediate post-test
measure: Change in Attitude, measured by Approach to Dementia Questionnaire at 1 month
timeFrame: 1 month follow-up
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in Caregivers' burden, measuredn by Zarit Burden Interview
timeFrame: 1 month follow-up
measure: Caregivers' mental health status, measured by Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5
timeFrame: 1 month follow-up
measure: User experience interview of the VR education program on dementia
timeFrame: Immediate after the program
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Taipei Medical University
name: Dorothy Bai, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: