Co-designing a Virtual Reality Implementation Framework

About the Project

Chief Investigator: Soo Oh, Occupational Therapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital
Investigators and collaborators:

Professor Louise Gustafsson,The Hopkins Centre
A/Professor Jacki Liddle, Occupational Therapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital
Ms Margo Coffey, Occupational Therapy Department, Logan Hospital
Ms Kerry Ann Anderson Kay, Occupational Therapy Department, Logan Hospital
Ms Rebecca Connors, Occupational Therapy Department, Logan Hospital
Dr Jessie Mitchell, The Hopkins Centre
Mr John Hitchens, The Hopkins Centre
Dr Michael Norwood, The Hopkins Centre

This project, Co-designing a Virtual Reality (VR) Implementation Framework, is funded through the 2026 Metro South Health Research Support Scheme – Early Career Researcher Grant and is led by Ms Soo Oh.

Virtual reality is increasingly used in healthcare to support mental health, pain management, and rehabilitation following neurological conditions. While the evidence base for VR continues to grow, translation into routine clinical practice remains limited. Common barriers include gaps in clinician knowledge and confidence, uncertainty around procurement and governance, and limited implementation guidance.

This project seeks to address these challenges by co-designing an evidence-informed implementation framework to support the effective, sustainable uptake of VR within occupational therapy services across Metro South Health, with a specific focus on Princess Alexandra and Logan Hospitals.

Aim and objectives: 

• To apply a theory-informed, co-designed implementation approach to support the integration of virtual reality into occupational therapy practice across Metro South Health.
• To develop evidence-informed best practice principles for the procurement and selection of VR equipment and programs in occupational therapy.
• To explore clinicians’ beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes towards VR use in practice.
• To identify key enablers and barriers to the implementation of VR within clinical settings.
• To co-design, implement, and evaluate targeted strategies to support clinician-led uptake of VR technologies.

Project status and timeframe:

The project has been awarded funding through the 2026 Metro South Health Research Support Scheme – Early Career Researcher Grant.

The project is scheduled to commence in 2026, with implementation and evaluation conducted over the grant funding period in alignment with Metro South Health requirements.

Expected outcomes and impact

• A co-designed, practical implementation framework to guide the use of VR in occupational therapy at Logan and Princess Alexandra Hospitals
• Improved understanding of organisational, professional, and contextual factors influencing VR implementation
• Clinician-led, theory-informed implementation strategies to support sustainable practice change
• Evidence to support future investment in digital and technology-enabled rehabilitation

This project will support the translation of VR research into routine occupational therapy practice, strengthening digital capability within Metro South Health. By providing a structured, evidence-based implementation framework, the project has the potential to improve consistency, confidence, and scalability of VR-enabled rehabilitation, with broader relevance across health services and allied health professions.

This project is funded by MSH SERTA under the MSH Research Support Scheme.