Cultivating imagination: development and pilot test of a therapeutic use of an immersive virtual reality CAVE.

As informatics applications grow from being data collection tools to platforms for action, the boundary between what constitutes informatics applications and therapeutic interventions begins to blur. Emerging computer-driven technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and mHealth apps may serve as clinical interventions. As part of a larger project intended to provide complements to cognitive behavioral approaches to health behavior change, an interactive scenario was designed to permit unstructured play inside an immersive 6-sided VR CAVE.

HeartCareII: patients' use of a home care web resource.

In a six-month randomized field experiment our team evaluated the impact of a technology-enhanced practice (TEP) model compared to the usual care delivered by home care nurses. Research staff provided computers and technical assistance; home care visit nurses trained patients in the use of the components of the HeartCareII website most relevant to their care needs. The purpose of this paper is to explore participant exposure to the web-based HeartCareII resources, the technical core of the TEP.