VR for patients in Hospitals

An aging generation with multiple chronic conditions will challenge the future healthcare system and society in general. Healthy aging is therefore a theme more important than ever before.

In 2018, there were approximately 600,000 admissions of patients over 65 years of age in Danish hospitals [1]. Nearly 50% of hospital-admitted patients are over 65 years old, and of these, about 20% are readmitted within 30 days [2].

The risk of readmission is directly linked to the individual patient's physical capabilities [3]. Studies show that older patients are physically inactive for 77-98% of their hospital stay [4, 5, 6].

The combination of prolonged physical inactivity and old age is an ignored problem. Physical inactivity has serious and well-documented consequences on bones, muscles, and the cardiovascular system [7]. Even short-term physical inactivity in the elderly significantly reduces fitness and muscle mass [8].

Physical inactivity among the elderly causes more than 50,000 additional somatic hospital admissions annually. The treatment and care of physical inactivity cost the Danish society nearly 5 billion kroner annually and also cause more than 5,000 deaths [9].

Physical inactivity during hospitalization rapidly reduces older patients' physical function and self-sufficiency. This negatively impacts their daily quality of life [10, 11]. But also how effectively a patient receives medical treatment, and how quickly the patient recovers afterwards without enduring complications [11, 12, 13, 14].

An early start on physical activity during hospitalization can effectively reduce physical functional deterioration during hospitalization [15], directly reverse this negative development [16], and stimulate and maintain cognitive functions [17, 18].

Early activation with just 15-20 minutes of chair-based activity a day can shorten the length of hospital stay by 20% [5], thereby reducing hospitalization costs [19].

Strength training and activities such as cycling and walking are effective activities for improvement. Research shows that walking 500 meters a day eliminates physical functional decline during hospitalization [19]. But even 100 daily steps reduce the risk of readmission by 10% [2].

Seated cycling is a gentle, safe, and effective form of exercise for older patients, and improves the ability to stand up and walk [20].

A study has found that (max) 15 minutes of seated cycling about 4 times a week, in just 3 weeks, increased older patients' average cycling distance by 26%, while also improving both training duration and power/strength. The result was a significant difference in the ability to walk (both distance and speed), and to rise from a seated position [16]. Regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce the number of physical fall incidents [21].

Research, on the other hand, shows that cycling makes older individuals 9-17% more efficient at walking [22].

Cycling trains the leg muscles used to take steps far more effectively than the equivalent time spent on a walk [22, 23]. However, the physical activity level of the elderly must not exceed their physical limit, and many older patients find it difficult to find the motivation to perform even necessary physical activities [24]. Indoor cycling can build physical strength from a very low starting point [12], and is therefore a very versatile physical activity, as long as the patients are motivated by it.

References can be found HERE.