A separated service: examining virtual reality experiences of actor groups in a rehabilitative healthcare setting

<p dir="ltr">Immersive technologies, like Virtual Reality (VR), are changing the nature of separated services, particularly in healthcare. Yet, how service users experiencing vulnerability and providers responsible for core service delivery experience virtualized healthcare remains under-researched. This study reveals service actors’ experiences through a qualitative examination of a VR rehabilitation (VRehab) program. From 32 interviews with patients and physiotherapists partaking in VRehab and observational data, we identify themes that capture service actors’ experiences across the dyad (i.e., digital connection, professional advancement), how actors overcome emergent challenges in VRehab (i.e., collaborative communication and proactive partnership), and the benefits and affordances (i.e., adherence and engagement in spatial separation; technological innovation/drawbacks) of the VR service separation that enable or constrain service provision. Collectively, the findings reveal how service encounters for users experiencing vulnerability can be augmented and infused through VR.</p>