INTEGRATION OF VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGIES INTO THE SYSTEM OF COMPLEX PHYSICAL REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS: MODERN POSSIBILITIES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF APPLICATION

Abstract

Virtual reality technologies are a leader in the field of medical rehabilitation, as evidenced by the fact that digital technologies are increasingly integrated into the rehabilitation process. Virtual reality in physiotherapy creates new opportunities for more individualised treatment, increasing patient participation and making the assessment of recovery progress more accurate. The implementation of virtual reality in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from orthopaedic, neurological and traumatic injuries is a top priority. This study aimed to investigate the potential of virtual reality technologies as a new tool in a comprehensive system of physical rehabilitation for patients, to verify their effectiveness compared to traditional methods, and to clarify the possibilities of applying virtual reality in clinical practice. The study included a content analysis of scientific sources (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and a SWOT analysis. The review covered the clinical effectiveness, economic feasibility and technical capabilities of applying virtual reality technologies in rehabilitation. A comparative assessment of the effectiveness of patient rehabilitation using virtual reality technologies and traditional methods was conducted. Innovations in virtual reality have a positive impact on the level of rehabilitation efforts, contribute to a decrease in the frequency of relapses, facilitate tracking of motor activity with higher accuracy and improve individual treatment plans. The computer-generated environment provides the opportunity to perform everyday tasks, thereby detecting compensatory movements at an early stage and changing efforts more quickly according to the patient’s condition. It is predicted that the use of virtual reality will lead to savings in the field of rehabilitation services by 15–25% and pay back the investment within 12–18 months. In addition, high patient satisfaction (over 90% on the PSI scale) and increased treatment effectiveness in cases of recovery from stroke, ACL injuries, limb fractures and the shoulder joint are consistent with this statement. Virtual reality is undoubtedly a promising technology that can revolutionise the physical rehabilitation system, making it more adaptive, interactive, and effective. The full implementation of virtual reality in practice requires not only the standardisation of protocols but also the professional training of personnel and the creation of a technical infrastructure. Additional clinical experiments will help us determine the capabilities of virtual reality more accurately for different patient categories and types of injuries.