NATUREACH - Palliative medicine

Palliative Medicine, Umeå (Umeå University)

The aim is to investigate the value and benefits of using virtual nature environments in palliative care and increase the experiences of well-being among patients, relatives, and staff.

Palliative medicine in Umeå consists of a team with various professions working with specialized palliative care in the patients' homes. Palliative care offers treatment for illness when curative treatment is no longer possible. One of the main goals of palliative care is to alleviate suffering, both physical suffering through good symptom relief, and psychological, social, and spiritual/existential suffering through conversations and support for patients and relatives based on their needs and desires.

CLIENT GROUPS

1. Patients with serious illness enrolled in palliative home care.
2. Relatives of the patients.
3. Staff at the palliative care unit who in their daily work, care for patients and relatives.

• Equipment: VR goggles with nature videos.

• Methods to measure effects: Observations, self-assessment scales, physiological measurements, and individual interviews.