Finalidade das tecnologias de realidade virtual utilizadas por pessoas idosas: revisão de escopo

Abstract

Population aging is a global reality that is associated not only with a drop in mortality and fertility, but also with the consequence of access to education and health. Therefore, it is extremely important to be concerned about the quality of life and health of these elderly people. Therefore, it is necessary to overcome the challenges of this problem, especially in the health area, and technology has the potential to be an ally in overcoming these obstacles. Virtual Reality (VR) is a type of digital technology that, in the healthcare field, allows disease prevention and health promotion through its use in training professionals and rehabilitating patients. Therefore, this study aims, through a scoping review (RE), to map the purpose of virtual reality technologies used by elderly people. This is a scoping review, guided by the methodology proposed by the Joana Briggs Institute (JBI). The review was registered in the Open Science Framework, with DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/YGZ9Q. To construct the research question, the PCC method (population, concept and context) was used, which resulted in the question “What is the purpose of using virtual reality technologies with elderly people in the community?”. The search was carried out in the following databases: Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online/National Library of Medicine (MEDLINE/PubMed), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), SCOPUS, Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), Cochrane and Web of Science; and in the gray literature, in the following databases: Google Scholar, ProQuest Global Dissertations and Theses, Open Gray and ClinicalTrials.gov. 4839 articles were identified in the databases and 330 in the gray literature, of which 2291 duplicates were excluded, leaving 2878 for title and abstract reading. Of these, 360 studies were selected for full reading, resulting in a final sample of 21 articles. The studies had greater expression in South Korea (6) and physiotherapists (9) were more prominent in the use of VR devices with the elderly. According to the review, the main purposes, present in 14 studies, of using VR with the elderly population are: improving and/or rehabilitating functions that decline with aging. Most studies showed the effectiveness of VR devices in their objectives, therefore being a tool with the potential to prevent falls, cognitive decline and decreased performance of instrumental activities of daily living. It is necessary to develop new studies, especially in other environments, such as Long-Term Care Institutions (LTCFs) and hospitals, in order to achieve greater expressiveness in the use of VR by health professionals in assisting the elderly.