Dr Vivien Lane, Dr Ivan Beale.
Abstract
Theoretical
The intellectual content of ‘Re-Mission’ is theory-driven by Orem's self care model and validated nursing research. The visual content is desk-top virtual reality 3rd person shooter animation with American voices. Psychoeducational benefits of ‘Re-Mission’ have previously been validated in a randomised controlled study of 375 adolescents and young adults undergoing treatment for cancer, primarily in North America.
Method
Various ranks of Australian cancer nurses were recruited and randomly assigned either to play the ‘Re-Mission’ game or view informational animated video segments form the game. (http://www.swahs.health.nsw.gov.au/NMPD/index.htm).
Participants completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, including a demographics and a post-intervention Acceptability/Credibility evaluation of the Re-Mission or video interventions.
Findings
A minority (8) of the nurses recruited (24) actually completed the study, most failing to return any completed questionnaires. Ratings provided by the 8 returned acceptability/credibility questionnaires indicated that those actually receiving the interventions found them to be moderately acceptable and credible. Younger nurses were more positive about both interventions than were older nurses. Overall, the results indicated that the nurses were IT naive, unsure of ‘Re-Mission’ and unready or unwilling to use it with patients. Nine (9) cultural issues were identified.
Conclusions
Philanthropic intentions to benefit cancer patients’ health globally have cultural limitations. Free-access psychoeducational animated resources need to be matched with local culturally-specific needs.