Research conducted by Stanford University's
Virtual Human Interaction Lab in collaboration with Mynd
Immersive and AT&T 5G Healthcare
PALO
ALTO, Calif. and DALLAS, Nov. 8, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Virtual Reality (VR) technology is not just for the
young. It's paving the way for enhancing relationships between the
aging population and their caregivers, as research from the Virtual
Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) at Stanford University
demonstrates.
This research comes just months after the American Medical
Association issued CPT codes that recognize VR for various
therapeutic services, a major milestone for the growth of digital
therapeutics.
The study sought to understand older adults' attitudes towards
new technologies, including virtual reality, and how professional
caregivers felt about facilitating VR experiences for older adults.
Research was led by Dr. Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of the
VHIL and one of the world's leading experts on understanding and
exploring individual behavior and social responses in VR, and
Ryan Christopher Moore, Ph.D.
researcher.
"This study showcases how a tool which is typically associated
with youthful entertainment has transformative applications in
healthcare, particularly geriatric care," said Dr. Bailenson. "The
response from both the caregivers and seniors has been quite
positive, suggesting
that VR can be a sustainable and beneficial tool in Senior Care
communities."
Key findings include that 81.5% of caregivers reported they
enjoyed interacting with residents more while using Mynd Immersive
(Mynd), formerly MyndVR than while doing other activities, and
94.9% said that using Mynd was moderately to extremely beneficial
to their relationship with the resident. Similarly, 83% of
residents reported that using Mynd was moderately to extremely
beneficial to their relationship with the caregiving
staff.
The study also found:
- 74.2% of the caregivers reported that the residents' mood
improved after using Mynd, and 79.2% of the residents
reported feeling more positive
- 57.9% of older adults reported feeling less isolated from the
outside world after using Mynd
- While positive attitudes towards new technology often decline
with age, the study population overwhelmingly felt positive about
using VR and the decline in attitude was less than compared to
other technologies like cell phones and voice assistants
"Shared experiences in VR, like revisiting a senior's hometown
or traveling to a place they've always wanted to see, can stimulate
greater communication, bridge emotional gaps, and create deeper
bonds," said Chris Brickler, CEO of
Mynd Immersive. "We are experiencing explosive growth of our aging
population, while simultaneously seeing a significant decline in
available caregivers, so it's imperative that we create tools like
Mynd that can help create a more enjoyable and fulfilling
environment for both the cared and caregiver."
Mynd has brought together a powerful consortium of industry
collaborators to support this research and beyond, including
AT&T, HTC VIVE, Select Rehabilitation, and some of the world's
most innovative senior living communities, such as John Knox
Village in Pompano Beach, Florida,
Commonwealth Senior Living, Sodalis Senior Living, Long Island
State Veteran Home and more.
"We're entering a new era of delivering immersive, digital
therapeutics," said Joe Drygas, Head
of AT&T Healthcare. "The combination of XR experiences with 5G
and AI will have a tremendous impact on the many ways we can
provide top quality care for our elders and support their
caregivers. The Mynd Immersive and AT&T collaboration is
bringing the future of connected healthcare into sharp focus for
older adults and their families."
"We launched HTC VIVE with a belief that VR could positively
impact humanity," said Cher Wang,
Chairwoman of HTC. "This type of data from industry partners like
Mynd and esteemed independent researchers, such as Stanford University, further supports our belief
and moves the entire industry forward."
Stanford's pioneering lab, focused
on the psychological and behavioral effects of virtual reality,
conducted a survey of 245 older adults and 39 caregivers in 16
Senior Care communities across 10 states. The study, the largest
ever conducted on VR and older adults, was done in collaboration
with Mynd, the leading provider of immersive therapeutic
experiences for the aging population.
The study has already won a "Top Paper Award" by the National
Communication Association and will be presented at their upcoming
annual convention. The paper has also been accepted by the journal,
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking and
will be published later in 2023.
About Mynd Immersive
Mynd Immersive, formerly MyndVR, is the leading provider of
immersive therapeutics for senior living communities, home care
agencies, Veteran homes, and adults aging at home in the US, UK,
Canada and Australia. Mynd is building the most advanced
portfolio of original and licensed therapeutic VR content that
enables older adults to interact with the outside world in
innovative ways that promote engagement, wellness, and positive
outcomes. Mynd also co-created DigitalTherapyNOW.org – a
purpose-driven coalition of academic and industry partners designed
to educate lawmakers and bring awareness to the Access to
Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2023. For more,
visit MyndVR.com.
*About AT&T
We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and
neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater
possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G
wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate
to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc.
(NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can
learn more at investors.att.com.
To learn more about AT&T Business and 5G Connectivity,
please visit business.att.com.
About HTC VIVE
HTC VIVE is the premier virtual reality (VR) platform and
ecosystem that creates true-to-life VR experiences for businesses
and consumers. The VIVE ecosystem is built around premium VR
hardware, software, and content. The VIVE business encompasses
best-in-class XR hardware; VIVEPORT platform and app store; VIVE
Enterprise Solutions for business customers; VIVE X, a US$100M VR
business accelerator; and VIVE ARTS for cultural initiatives. For
more information, please visit www.vive.com.
CONTACT: myndvr@5wpr.com
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SOURCE MyndVR Inc.