Virtual reality technologies for treating agoraphobia or agoraphobic avoidance: early value assessment

The company should provide training for staff to support use of the technology.

Evidence generation should be overseen by a steering group including researchers, commissioners, practitioners, and people with lived experience.

The evidence generation process is most likely to succeed with dedicated research staff to reduce the burden on NHS staff, and by using suitable real-world data to collect information when possible.

There is a wide variation in standard care for severe agoraphobic avoidance in people with psychosis within the NHS. Contributing services should be chosen to maximise the generalisability of evidence generated, both in terms of the populations covered and the standard care delivered.

Careful planning of the approach to information governance is vital. Implementers should ensure that appropriate structures and policies are in place to ensure that the data is handled in a confidential and secure manner and to appropriate ethical and quality standards.

Using the EQ‑5D requires a licence, with an associated cost.

The Oxford Agoraphobic Avoidance Scale (O‑AS) outcomes measure is not routinely used in the NHS. It was developed by researchers who were also involved in the development of the technology.

Sufficient retention of people is needed over the required follow-up period, and people having standard care alone may need motivation or incentivisation to remain in the study. To encourage retention, the company should consider offering virtual reality (VR) therapy to people after they have taken part in in the study in services which have not yet implemented the technology (control services).