JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Lung cancer is a global health concern, with especially high incidence in Taiwan. Surgical treatment remains a cornerstone for early-stage lung cancer, but patients often struggle to understand complex surgical options when relying solely on traditional counseling methods. Shared decision making (SDM) promotes patient engagement, and mobile augmented reality (MAR) has the potential to enhance patient comprehension through interactive 3D visualization. However, the use of MAR in patient counseling for thoracic surgery remains underexplored.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Mobile Augmented Reality (MAR) counseling compared to traditional methods on shared decision-making (SDM) in thoracic surgery from the perspectives of patients, family members, and healthcare providers.

Methods:

A randomized clinical trial was conducted at Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Fifty patients or family members were randomly assigned to traditional or MAR counseling groups, and 50 healthcare providers participated in the evaluation. MAR counseling integrated patient-specific 3D anatomical models to enhance comprehension. Questionnaires assessed the impact on SDM, and statistical analyses included Fisher's exact test, chi-square test, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

Results:

MAR counseling significantly improved SDM compared to traditional methods (P ≤ 0.001). Participants reported higher satisfaction and comprehension with MAR counseling (P ≤ 0.001). Healthcare providers also strongly supported the use of MAR technology for patient counseling.

Conclusions:

MAR counseling effectively enhances SDM in thoracic surgery by improving patient understanding and engagement. Both patients and healthcare providers favor this innovative digital approach. Multi-center studies are recommended to validate its feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and broader applicability. Clinical Trial: This study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07062393).