WHAT DOES THE PUBLIC HAVE TO SAY ABOUT VRT?
This space of the VRT website displays different segments of many blog posts dedicated to virtual reality therapy. These blog posts exhibit the public opinion of VRT- with many bloggers commenting on the beneficial nature of VRT and how it is used as a complement to traditional therapy, not as a replacement that limits human interaction. Additionally, some of the screenshots of blog posts contain interviews with staff at the virtual reality medical center in California.
These screenshots are from BMJ Group Blogs, a post by Claire Bower called "Beyond Gaming: Virtual Reality in Healthcare."
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These screenshots are from Javelin Blog. The article is called "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Virtual Reality Therapy - A New Javelin Reality Project," by Ben Sainsbury.
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From Shaping Reality Blog.
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From Medicine Meets Virtual Reality 17 Wordpress Blog. Post called "Interview with Dr. Dennis Wood: Virtual Reality Graded Exposure Therapy. These screenshots display portions of the interview with Dr. Dennis Wood, who is at the virtual reality medical center in San Diego, CA.
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Overall, all of these four blog posts demonstrate a positive public opinion towards the use of virtual reality therapy in the medical field. The BMJ Group Blog post comments on the beneficial use of VRT in the treatment of PTSD, as the therapist can control the situation and the virtual world makes users feel as if they're inhabiting a real space, therefore bringing up very authentic emotions. The Javelin Blog post also highlights the valuable nature of virtual reality therapy for the treatment of post traumatic stress disorder. Sainsbury also makes a note of the current prevalence of VRT in the United States, with over 55 army bases and private clinics utilizing this form of psychotherapy. Additionally, the interview with Mark Wiederhold provides an in depth explanation of how virtual reality therapy works, mentioning an important component of VRT - physiological monitoring. Through this, therapists can discern features such as how the patient actually feels, their level of stress, and their heart rate, which triumph over a patient's verbal report of their internal state. Finally, the interview with Dr. Dennis Wood answered questions such as how VRT works, why it's helpful for PTSD, and what advancements he expects to see in the future. Wood also pointed out one of the main concerns associated with virtual reality therapy - that the patient's anxiety could worsen. Wood mentioned how the therapeutic relationship and therapist's expertise in controlling the situation allows for the patient's stress levels to be under control. In conclusion, as manifested by these blog posts, the public does have a positive opinion of virtual reality therapy. The authors of these blog posts make note of the advantageous nature of virtual reality therapy and how it has the power to advance the medical society in treating many disorders.