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Virtual Reality Aided Therapy towards Health 4.0: A Two-Decade Bibliometric Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Zhen Liu

    (School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Lingfeng Ren

    (School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Chang Xiao

    (School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Ke Zhang

    (School of Design, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China)

  • Peter Demian

    (School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK)

Abstract

Health 4.0 aligns with Industry 4.0 and encourages the application of the latest technologies to healthcare. Virtual reality (VR) is a potentially significant component of the Health 4.0 vision. Though VR in health care is a popular topic, there is little knowledge of VR-aided therapy from a macro perspective. Therefore, this paper was aimed to explore the research of VR in aiding therapy, thus providing a potential guideline for futures application of therapeutic VR in healthcare towards Health 4.0. A mixed research method was adopted for this research, which comprised the use of a bibliometric analysis (a quantitative method) to conduct a macro overview of VR-aided therapy, the identification of significant research structures and topics, and a qualitative review of the literature to reveal deeper insights. Four major research areas of VR-aided therapy were identified and investigated, i.e., post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and fear related disorder (A&F), diseases of the nervous system (DNS), and pain management, including related medical conditions, therapies, methods, and outcomes. This study is the first to use VOSviewer, a commonly used software tool for constructing and visualizing bibliometric networks and developed by Center for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands, to conduct bibliometric analyses on VR-aided therapy from the perspective of Web of Science core collection (WoSc), which objectively and visually shows research structures and topics, therefore offering instructive insights for health care stakeholders (particularly researchers and service providers) such as including integrating more innovative therapies, emphasizing psychological benefits, using game elements, and introducing design research. The results of this paper facilitate with achieving the vision of Health 4.0 and illustrating a two-decade (2000 to year 2020) map of pre-life of the Health Metaverse.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhen Liu & Lingfeng Ren & Chang Xiao & Ke Zhang & Peter Demian, 2022. "Virtual Reality Aided Therapy towards Health 4.0: A Two-Decade Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-26, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:3:p:1525-:d:737433
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Jinlu Shen & Xiangyu Zhou & Wei Wu & Liang Wang & Zhenying Chen, 2023. "Worldwide Overview and Country Differences in Metaverse Research: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, February.
    3. Xiaomei Luo & Yuduo Wu & Lina Niu & Lucheng Huang, 2022. "Bibliometric Analysis of Health Technology Research: 1990~2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Sestino, Andrea & D'Angelo, Alfredo, 2023. "My doctor is an avatar! The effect of anthropomorphism and emotional receptivity on individuals' intention to use digital-based healthcare services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    5. Juan Piñeiro-Chousa & M. Ángeles López-Cabarcos & Valentín VittoriRomero & Aurora Pérez-Pérez, 2025. "Evolution and trends of the metaverse in business and management: A bibliometric analysis," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 197-222, January.

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