Characterising Physical Rehabilitation Exergames for Player Experience Evaluation Purposes

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Game Studies

Background:

• Physical rehabilitation exergames (PREGs) offer engaging therapeutic solutions.
• Evaluating player experience (PX) in PREGs is crucial for optimizing their effectiveness.
• Understanding constraints from a clinical perspective is needed for accurate PX assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify constraints influencing Player Experience (PX) evaluation in Physical Rehabilitation Exergames (PREGs) from a physiotherapist's viewpoint.
• To explore how rehabilitation context, goals, and patient characteristics affect PX evaluation in PREGs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with three physiotherapists.
• Thematic content analysis of collected interview data.
• Focus on identifying characteristics and constraints relevant to PX evaluation in PREGs.

Main Results:

• PX evaluation constraints in PREGs are linked to the rehabilitation context.
• The ability of PREGs to meet specific rehabilitation goals is a key constraint.
• Patient characteristics significantly influence their experience and engagement with PREGs.

Conclusions:

• Identified constraints impact the context, player, and game system constructs of PX in PREGs.
• Findings highlight the need to adapt or extend existing PX models for rehabilitation settings.
• Emphasizes the importance of a clinician-informed approach to PX evaluation in therapeutic exergames.