Equity implications of extended reality technologies for health and procedural anxiety: a systematic review and implementation-focused framework.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Extended reality (XR) applications are gaining support as a method of reducing anxieties about medical treatments and conditions; however, their impacts on health service inequalities remain underresearched. We therefore undertook a synthesis of evidence relating to the equity implications of these types of interventions.

Materials and methods

Searches of MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, and Epistemonikos were conducted in May 2023 to identify reviews of patient-directed XR interventions for health and procedural anxiety. Equity-relevant data were extracted from records (n = 56) that met these criteria, and from individual trials (n = 63) evaluated within 5 priority reviews. Analyses deductively categorized data into salient situation- and technology-related mechani

SUBMITTER: Arthur T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12012361 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature