Developing a Patient-Centered Virtual Reality Healthcare System To Prevent the Onset of Delirium in ICU Patients

The purpose of the DREAMS project (DREAMS = Digital Rehabilitation Environment-Augmenting Medical System) is to research the feasibility and clinical potential of a virtual reality (VR) system for reducing the occurrence of delirium among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Preliminary results of this ongoing study show VR produces minimal clinical effects but are strongly enjoyed by patients and easy to administer. We discuss important lessons learned from applying VR in the ICU.