Introduction

Patients undergoing radiation therapy frequently experience anxiety, uncertainty, and difficulty understanding the treatment process. Radiation oncology workflows involve complex treatment planning, immobilization devices, advanced imaging, and highly technical treatment delivery systems that can be unfamiliar to patients. Prior studies have demonstrated that anxiety and limited understanding during treatment can negatively affect patient experience, satisfaction, and perceived preparedness for care [1-5].

Educational interventions have been shown to improve patient understanding and reduce anxiety in oncology settings [3,6-9]. Video-based educational approaches may be particularly valuable because they provide standardized information delivery while allowing patients and caregivers to review educational content outside of physician encounters. However, conventional two-dimensional educational approaches may be limited in their ability to effectively convey the spatial and procedural aspects of radiation therapy.

Immersive educational technologies, including virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree visualization platforms, have increasingly been explored within healthcare education [3,5,10-14]. Prior studies in radiation oncology have demonstrated improvements in patient understanding, engagement, and satisfaction following immersive educational interventions [3,5,10-14]. Despite encouraging early findings, many previously published studies have been limited by small sample sizes, single-arm designs, or the evaluation of immersive technologies outside routine clinical workflows.

This study sought to prospectively evaluate the feasibility and patient experience outcomes associated with the implementation of an immersive patient education program (IPEP) integrated into routine radiation oncology care. We hypothesized that the addition of the IPEP to standard-of-care (SOC) education would improve patient understanding and reduce patient-reported anxiety compared with SOC education alone.