Design Guidelines for a Game-Based Physical Rehabilitation System: Focus Group Study.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Game Design

Background:

• Serious games and information and communication technologies (ICT) offer significant potential to enhance physical rehabilitation.
• Existing literature lacks comprehensive guidance on designing game-based rehabilitation systems tailored to user needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore therapist and practitioner intentions and needs regarding game-based physical rehabilitation.
• To identify factors influencing the effectiveness of game-based rehabilitation interventions.

Main Methods:

• A design science approach was employed.
• A focus group of 27 participants (therapists and practitioners) provided feedback on existing games and prototypes.

Main Results:

• Essential design insights and practical guidelines for game-based physical rehabilitation systems were generated.
• User needs and requirements were identified through participant feedback.

Conclusions:

• The findings provide a foundation for developing effective game-based physical rehabilitation systems.
• These guidelines will be applied in the subsequent design and development phase of a rehabilitation system.