Work

Effects of combining virtual nature exposure and hypnosis on quality of life in patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing hematopoietic cell transplant: Protocol for an efficacy trial

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a key treatment for patients with hematological malignancies, but often results in adverse effects that impact both physical and psychological well-being. This calls for the development of interventions aiming at reducing psychosocial impact of HCT. Among interventions, nature exposure appears promising and efficient via virtual reality. Combined to techniques increasing attention resources allocated to positive elements such as hypnosis, it could represent an innovative solution to preserve quality of life. Following the ORBIT model for the development of non-pharmacological interventions, this study constitutes a Phase IIc efficacy trial. It aims to evaluate the relative efficacy of an intervention combining virtual exposure to nature and hypnosis in patients with a hematological malignancy treated with HCT compared to observation only. Methods and analysis: The intervention will consist of 2 to 3 weekly 30-min sessions over 2 weeks during aplasia following stem cell infusion, with immersive virtual nature exposure to environments (beach, forest) combined with hypnosis. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Participants in the intervention group will receive sessions between day +7 and day +21 after HCT. Primary outcome will be the change in quality of life from T1 to T2. Perspectives: The results of this study will be highly relevant to determine the efficacy of a non-invasive and cost-effective intervention aimed at preserving QoL in patients treated with HCT. Demonstrating its efficacy will pave the way for further development and implementation of a future Phase III randomized controlled trial. Ethics and dissemination: The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (Project no 2026-4116). Participants will be asked to provide written consent for their participation. Results from this study will be shared through peer-reviewed publications, as well as oral and poster presentations at scientific events. The protocol for this study was preregistered on ISRCTN and raw anonymized data will be available on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/n598j). Trial registration number: ISRCTN42049015 (date of registration: November 6th, 2025). Protocol version: 1 (01/11/2025).

Source: Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications

DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2026.101706