Public perceptions of spatial computing in health: Opportunities and barriers for supporting self-care and wellbeing

Objectives To assess public and healthcare professional knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours regarding spatial computing technologies (virtual, augmented and mixed reality) in healthcare, with a focus on perceived benefits for self-care and barriers to adoption in primary care and community settings. Design Cross-sectional online survey. Setting UK-wide, web-based survey conducted between January 2025 and August 2025. Participants Community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 18 years residing in the UK, including healthcare professionals. A total of 405 respondents completed the survey; 41 were healthcare professionals. Interventions No intervention was delivered. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing familiarity with spatial computing, perceived utility across self-care domains aligned to the Seven Pillars of Self-Care and perceived barriers to adoption. Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures Primary outcomes were self-reported familiarity with spatial computing technologies and perceived benefit across self-care domains. Secondary outcomes included perceived barriers to adoption and associations between demographic characteristics and familiarity. Analyses used descriptive statistics and exploratory inferential tests (χ², Fisher’s exact, Friedman and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Bonferroni correction). Results Most respondents (71.4%) reported familiarity with spatial computing technologies, although regular use was uncommon (4.7%). Oculus Quest (57.5%) and Apple Vision Pro (46.9%) were the most recognised platforms. Participants perceived strong potential for supporting health literacy, mental wellbeing and physical activity, particularly through guided mindfulness, avatar-led exercise and immersive patient education. Perceived benefit was lower for medication management and dietary guidance. Familiarity was statistically associated with gender (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.002) and ethnicity (p = 0.006), with higher awareness among men, younger adults and some minority ethnic groups. The most frequently cited barriers to adoption were high cost (56.5% rating as critical), lack of training (67.4% rating 4–5) and data privacy concerns (63.5%). Conclusions Spatial computing is viewed positively by the public and healthcare professionals as a tool to support self-care and aspects of healthcare delivery, particularly health literacy, mental wellbeing and physical activity. However, high cost, training gaps and privacy concerns remain substantial barriers. Targeted investment in evidence generation, workforce training and inclusive governance will be necessary to support equitable and responsible implementation.