VR helps Glasgow families prepare for home dialysis

A VR training tool is now being used to support those who require peritoneal dialysis, giving families a safe and immersive way to learn the procedure before carrying it out on their loved ones.

It was developed by Dr Ben Reynolds, a paediatric nephrologist at Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children, who built upon his own experience of playing VR games to create a system that makes the dialysis process easier to understand.

Dr Reynolds said: "During the pandemic, I spent some time gaming and using virtual reality myself and quickly realised the potential it had to help train people in new processes.

"Dialysis can feel overwhelming for patients and families, particularly when they’re considering doing it at home, so we wanted to find a way to make the process clearer and less intimidating.

"The virtual reality experience allows people to see exactly what’s involved in a safe, realistic way, without any risk.

"We’ve found it helps to reduce anxiety and gives patients and families more confidence to make informed decisions about the type of dialysis that’s right for them.

"It has been successfully used by families across Scotland and we are keen to continue developing and improving it."

Dr Ben Reynolds, a Paediatric Nephrologist at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, used his own experience of playing virtual reality games to create the VR system (Image: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde)

Developed with funding from Kidney Research UK, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the West of Scotland Innovation Hub, the tool was created in partnership with Professor Vassilis Charisis of Edinburgh Napier University.

It is currently used to help families considering peritoneal dialysis, with plans to expand to home haemodialysis training.

The tool allows users to walk through the full setup and delivery of at-home dialysis without physical risk and reduces the need for the use of dialysis equipment in training.

Amanda Flood, whose seven-year-old son Peter was having dialysis for two years before he had a transplant just before his sixth birthday, used the VR kit to get comfortable with the dialysis process.

She said: "I’d never used virtual reality for anything before so it was all new to us but the kit was amazing, and we were able to spend as long as we needed in Glasgow doing the training.

"It’s a very complex thing you’re getting trained to do – it’s basically your child’s lifeline – so the hospital staff were not going to discharge us until they were certain we could do it at home.

"There’s so much machinery and cables and bags of fluid involved, and learning how to set things up and do all the mixes yourself can be terrifying.

"But with the virtual reality kit you can try it out as many times as you like.

"It’s the exact same motions you’re going through, so it becomes like muscle memory by the time you’re doing it for real.

"The virtual reality kit also prompts you along with all the different steps you need to take so it really built up our confidence."

Peter is now back at school after recovering well from his transplant operation.

Amanda Flood with her husband Graeme and son Peter (Image: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde)

The training project recently received recognition at the Centre of Engineering Education and Development industry awards for its commitment to innovation and collaboration.

Professor Charisis, a specialist in virtual reality, emphasised the broader potential of the technology.

He said: "Emerging technologies such as virtual reality are no longer simply tools for the clinic or the training room – they are becoming the means to bring genuinely personalised, continuous care into people's homes and lives.

"This tool is the culmination of more than five years of co-design with clinicians, nurses, patients and families."

NHSGGC now has three VR headsets available for families (Image: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde)

Dr Samantha Lawes, director of research development and partnerships at Kidney Research UK, said the tool has the power to be "life-changing".

She said: "Dialysis is complex and relentless.

"Attending dialysis sessions in hospitals and clinics three days a week takes children away from their education and parents and carers away from their jobs.

"Therefore, tools which empower families with the confidence and understanding to carry out their own dialysis at home can be nothing short of life changing."

Three VR headsets are now available for families through NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC).