Date published: 08/08/18
Virtual reality in the rehabilitation centre
- Name: Priscilla Wittkopf
- Current Organisation: Leeds Beckett University
- Current Position: PhD Student
- Secondment organisation: Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
My name is Priscilla Wittkopf and I am a Physiotherapist finishing my PhD at Leeds Beckett University. I have an interest in the use of virtual reality to aid the rehabilitation process of patients. During my PhD I conducted a series of experimental studies in the laboratory with healthy participants testing the use of VR to reduce pain.
I have also conducted a systematic review, where I examined the many uses of virtual reality in the rehabilitation process of patients with different conditions. However, in order to develop a protocol for the use of virtual reality (VR) to aid rehabilitation, it is important to spend some time in a rehabilitation ward and understand the day-to-day activities of the patients.
This is the purpose of my secondment in the Rehabilitation Centre at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. I will be observing the activities held at the rehabilitation centre and discussing with members of staff and patients the potential use of VR. After collecting information about the activities and the needs of patients and staff I will be able to develop ideas of how VR can be used. I will present my ideas to the staff and patients and we will choose one to develop a protocol to take forward.
I will be supervised by Doctor Abayomi Salawu who is a consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine with extensive experience in rehabilitation and very interested in the use of VR technology. With the help from my colleague Bal Singh at Leeds Beckett University we will develop the virtual reality intervention and present it to staff and patients for feedback. Hopefully, after my secondment we will be able to develop a VR intervention to help the rehabilitation of patients attending the Rehabilitation Centre at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and many other rehabilitation centers.
