JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Effective communication between healthcare professionals and patients is crucial for enhancing understanding, treatment compliance, and overall health outcomes. In neurosurgery, poor communication can lead to misunderstandings and legal risks. Augmented Reality (AR) technology has been proposed to improve preoperative risk communication, offering a more intuitive and interactive experience. The study aims to evaluate the role of AR in shared decision-making (SDM) for neurosurgery.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the role of AR technology in enhancing SDM and preoperative risk communication in neurosurgery. Specifically, it assesses the impact of AR-assisted communication on patient comprehension of surgical risks, anxiety levels, and communication satisfaction. The study also seeks to establish a standardized, scalable workflow for integrating AR into SDM in neurosurgical consultations and provides a foundation for future research on the use of AR in complex medical settings.

Methods:

A prospective, single-center, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 62 neurosurgery patients. Participants were divided into three groups based on the surgical approach (frontal, parietal, occipital), and within each group, patients were further randomized into an experimental AR group and a control physical model group. The primary outcome was the assessment of comprehension (subjective and objective), while secondary outcomes included anxiety levels, communication satisfaction, and the physician's communication skills.

Results:

62 patients completed the study. Objective comprehension, as assessed by a knowledge questionnaire, was significantly better in the AR group compared to the physical model group in the parietal and occipital approach groups. No significant differences were found in anxiety levels or communication time between the groups. However, subjective communication satisfaction was significantly higher in the AR group across all comparisons.

Conclusions:

AR-assisted preoperative risk communication in neurosurgery significantly improved the objective understanding of surgical risks compared to traditional physical model communication. While AR had limited impact on anxiety reduction, it significantly enhanced communication satisfaction. The study suggests that AR technology can be a valuable tool in enhancing SDM and improving patient understanding in complex medical settings.