Virtual Reality as a Tool in Pulmonary Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Background and Objective: Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) has been widely accepted as a
standard non-pharmacological intervention for the management of chronic lung diseases. The 21st
century has ushered in the age of technology utilization in every field including healthcare. Virtual
Reality (VR) is an emerging technology with several potential benefits in almost every aspect of
PR, whether be it assessment or treatment. This narrative review aims to explore emerging
evidence regarding the utilization of VR in PR, adding feathers to the emerging IR4.0.
Methods and Results: Literature related to the utilization of VR in PR was sourced from
following electronic databases from inception until May 2020: Google Scholar, PubMed, PEDro,
and Cochrane databases. A total of 14 articles that informed the content of the present review were
identified. These articles were reviewed and summarized with an emphasis on how VR could be
beneficial as an adjunct to the current practice of PR.
Conclusion: VR shows promising results as a beneficial intervention in the rehabilitation of
patients with chronic lung diseases. However, further research with large, well-designed
randomized controlled trials are needed to further support these shreds of evidence.