Comparison of compliance among patients with pediatric amblyopia undergoing virtual reality-based and traditional patching method training

Abstract

IntroductionThis study aimed to compare compliance between pediatric patients with amblyopia undergoing a smartphone virtual reality-based training method (EYEBIT) and those receiving traditional patching method training.MethodsA crossover design was adopted in this study. The enrolled children (n = 76) were randomized into the traditional patching and EYEBIT training method groups. The patients received training methods once a day for 2 h and 1 h in the patching and EYEBIT groups, respectively. Follow-up assessments involved interviews with parents regarding children's compliance and questionnaire-based interviews with children; compliance rating was compared between the methods.ResultsAll children completed the training and follow-up assessments. There were significant differences in parent and children compliance-related behavior and attitudes between the two training methods (p < 0.05). The EYEBIT method was associated with better compliance than the traditional patching method. Significant correlations were observed among compliance components in both methods. In the correlation analysis between the two groups, the research results showed that in the EYEBIT group, the correlation between children's compliance behaviors and children's compliance attitudes, the correlation between children's compliance behaviors and parents' compliance behaviors, and the correlations between children's compliance attitudes and parents' compliance attitudes were all negatively correlated, and in the traditional patching group, the above three correlation analysis results were all positive.ConclusionThe use of the EYEBIT method may improve compliance in children with amblyopia; this method appears acceptable to the parents of children with amblyopia.

Amblyopia Treatment through Immersive Virtual Reality: A Preliminary Experience in Anisometropic Children

“…However, the great advantage was that the subject’s compliance was complete. Additionally, the attractiveness of a game in comparison to patching has demonstrated its advantages for compliance when used for home-based training [ 32 ]. In our case, although the treatment was office-based, the attractiveness of an immersive VR game, along with the previous failure of patching in some cases, were strong motivating factors for compliance.…”

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality: potential clinical and training applications in pediatrics

“…Of the 89 identified studies, the majority (n=69, 77.52%) used a quantitative study design, followed by mixed methods (n=14, 15.73%), [61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74] and a small number of studies utilized a qualitative study design (n=6, 6.74%). 24,[75][76][77][78][79] The findings of the scoping review indicated a preference for objective measurement and data analysis methods in the included studies.…”

Stereoptic serious games as a visual rehabilitation tool for individuals with a residual amblyopia (AMBER trial): a protocol for a crossover randomized controlled trial

“…Nevertheless, the additional recovery of stereovision (3D vision) seems to require further ingredients in the training. Three studies have shown an improvement in stereovision in adults with amblyopia when using one game in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment [ 21 – 24 ], suggesting that a VR-based training providing 3D cues and rich feedback may better target improvement in stereovision in both strabismic and anisometropic type of amblyopia, improving also treatment compliance [ 25 ]. However, these preliminary studies in adults delivered the VR in a lab environment and with only one or two games.…”