ICU-VR Prior to ICU Admission

Rationale: A substantial proportion of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors develop psychological impairments due to their ICU admission. Several interventions to mitigate these impairments have been explored but lack a proper effect. Intensive Care Unit-specific Virtual Reality has proven to be potentially effective in treating PTSD and depression-related sequelae in ICU-survivors.

Objective: To evaluate the contribution in terms of information provision and patients' perspectives of ICU-VR to prepare lung transplant patients for their future ICU admission

Study design: A monocentre randomized controlled study

Study population: Lung transplant patients who are on the waiting list and understand the Dutch language. Due to the criteria for lung transplantation, these are 18-71 years of age. Participants need to have signed the informed consent formular.

Intervention: The ICU-VR intervention is designed by an interdisciplinary team of intensivists, ICU nurses, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a former ICU patient, to expose patients to the ICU environment while offering treatment- and department-related information. During the 12-minute lasting intervention, patients experience different facets of ICU treatment and receive information on the ICU environment, treatment, and workflow. The intervention group will receive this treatment during the appointment with the lung transplantation nurse. The control group will receive the regular hospital preparation care.

Primary endpoints: The primary endpoint will be the difference in information provision of the ICU care of lung transplant patients on the waiting list.