My research is looking at the use of virtual reality (VR) as a therapy for people with an incurable illness. The use of VR technology in healthcare is becoming more widespread due to its increasing accessibility and affordability. This is true for its use within hospices, where VR has been used to provide people with an incurable illness the opportunity to tick off ‘bucket list’ activities, visit familiar places from their childhood, and offer distraction through playing games. VR has been shown to reduce a range of physical and psychological symptoms in people with incurable illnesses, including reducing pain and anxiety. However, across this body of literature there are many limitations, including small sample sizes and inconsistency in the way people use VR.

My PhD study will address these issues by exploring how VR could best be implemented in a hospice setting. I will use a mixed methods approach, organising focus groups with hospice users and staff to explore the attitudes of staff and patients towards VR and its use within a hospice and implementing VR in a hospice setting for 6-months to explore how often VR should be used to maximise benefits for people with an incurable illness.