PROJECT

SOCRATES: Establishing the impact and effectiveness of the use of Virtual Reality (VR) to treat obesity

A PROJECT FOR: Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)

BRIEF

The

Challenge

Currently, there is a global increase in the interest in Virtual Reality (VR) from the healthcare sector. The Socrates project focuses on the impact of the use of VR treatments on patients with obesity. PredictBy will create a white paper that provides evidence to promote the use of VR to treat obesity, with a particular focus on embodiment therapies and its regulatory landscape.

FOCUS

The

Approach

We start this project by collecting evidence on the current state-of-the-art regarding virtual reality treatments offered by different public and private healthcare institutions for the treatment of obesity by conducting a literature review and complementing this with desk research.

We also conduct a case study that includes several individual cases of healthcare and/or R+D+I institutions which are currently delivering treatments for obesity. Here, we conduct interviews with all relevant stakeholders involved.

Finally, to gather more information about the practicalities, benefits, and disadvantages from those who deliver the treatments to patients with obesity, we conduct focus group sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

The envisioned result

The whitepaper will be developed based on triangulation of the obtained information and draw conclusions and recommendations for potential adopters in healthcare institutions. Here, several aspects will be evaluated, such as which platforms are most effective, and which sociodemographic and clinical characteristics specific population should be considered when delivering this kind of intervention.