Virtual reality treatments for frequent health complaints in Veterans at the Polytrauma Department

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Presenter(s)

Maheen M. Adamson, PhD, MHL

Director of Research, Rehabilitation Service/Clinical Assoc. Professor, Neurosurgery
VA Palo Alto Healthcare System/Stanford University School of Medicine
Alameda, California, United States

Slides Slides and Audio
Barry Peterson, MSE, MBA

Health System Specialist
Department of Veterans Affairs
Reno, Nevada, United States

Slides Slides and Audio
Rita Hitching, MSc

Associate Lecturer
University of Newcastle, California, United States

Slides
Joyce S. Chung, PhD MPH

Epidemiologist
VA Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California, United States

Slides

Recent reviews including meta-analyses report the utility and benefits of in-home, virtual reality-based rehabilitation (VRR) protocols to treat cognitive, mental, and physical health conditions, as well as psychiatric problems. We will provide an overview of our current efforts using VR to enhance function and provide rehabilitation to veterans for cognitive improvement, sleep enhancements, PTSD treatment, and overall wellness for employees in the VA Northern California Healthcare Network. Our goal in this symposium is to provide the background for VR and its current application for the complex problems veterans face in everyday life to improve their function and reintegration into society.

Learning Objectives:

1. Obtain current knowledge on cutting-edge application of VR in healthcare
2. Understand how to create protocols that can be used to deliver care at-home or remotely
3. Connect the various components of VR technologies to patient characteristics and personalized medicine.
4. Understand the potential clinical utility of VR in treating an array of psychological conditions comorbid with insomnia.
5. Appreciate the implementation, development and support strategies needed to incorporate VR to treat insomnia in clinical settings.