Usability and expert validation of a virtual reality system for post-mastectomy rehabilitation.

The participants were 28 physiotherapy students and three practising physiotherapists, not post-mastectomy patients, so the findings cannot be applied directly to the intended clinical population. The study measured usability, sickness, experience, comfort, and speed preference, not shoulder range of motion, pain, lymphedema, function, or quality of life. The paper describes the sample as a convenience sample and notes that healthy individuals' opinions may differ from experienced physiotherapists or people with shoulder problems. The Comfort Rating Scale was independently developed because a validated online version was not available. The Simulator Sickness Questionnaire was given only after VR use, so pre-use symptom levels were not available for comparison. There was no control group or comparison with usual rehabilitation.

The paper states that financial support was received for the work or its publication, but it does not name the source or list other conflicts.

Do not read this as evidence that virtual reality improves post-mastectomy shoulder rehabilitation. The system was tested only in 28 physiotherapy students and three practising physiotherapists, not in breast cancer patients, and the outcomes were usability, discomfort, experience, comfort, and speed preference.