Lessons learned from virtual arts-based resilience workshops for military healthcare providers: a community case study.

The field of medical extended reality (MedXR), encompassing uses of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), is transforming health care by enhancing research and patient care through immersive technologies. As MedXR moves from experimental stages to patient-facing applications, integrating patient perspectives has become essential. Institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) emphasize, and often require, documented patient and public involvement (PPI) for clinical trial approval and funding. Despite these initiatives, there remains limited specific guidance on how patients with lived experiences (PWLE) can be systematically integrated into MedXR research. Given MedXR’s interactive and experimental nature, patient insights are crucial from initial design through implementation and evaluation. PPI is a continuous process. Effective PPI helps shape study design and research questions, create accessible materials, including consent documents, support participant retention, and ensure protocols reflect real-world patient needs, serving as a crucial bridge between scientific research and patients’ everyday experiences. Engaged patients further help develop recruitment and retention strategies and foster trust and transparency between researchers and participants, grounded in lived experiences. This American Medical Extended Reality Association (AMXRA) expert consensus, led by a patient advocate experienced in both MedXR research and XR for chronic pain management and researchers in the field, offers best practices for PPI in MedXR research. This framework recognizes the contributions of all stakeholders while promoting MedXR interventions that are scientifically robust and patient-centered. It prioritizes approaches that ensure interventions are effective, equitable, and compassionate in patient care.