Supporting Doctor-Patient Communication and the Therapeutic Alliance in Pediatric Care Through Extended Reality: A Systematic Review

This review investigates how extended realityExtended reality (XR) can improve doctor-patientPatient communication for children with medicalMedical complexity. The study used PRISMA guidelines to conduct a systematic review on the topic. It analyzed various databases using the systematic approach to shortlist the results into a list of 17 papers. We found that Virtual RealityVirtual reality can alleviate stress and anxiety in childrenChildren and train healthcare professionals in effective communication. Augmented RealityAugmented reality interventions show promise in supporting emotional recognition and verbal abilities in pediatricPediatric patients, while mixed reality demonstrates potential for realistic interactions between caregivers and patients. Overall, the study highlights the versatility of XR technologiesTechnology in enhancing communication and improving patient well-being.