Gamification of ReHub

Abstract

The number of people who need or benefit from rehabilitation sessions is increasing over time. However, in some cases, access to such interventions is limited. Hence the need for telerehabilitation and the use of telerehabilitation platforms, such as ReHub, arose. ReHub is a digital rehabilitation platform that offers personalised physical therapies to patients with musculoskeletal problems. The recovery process is characterised by a long and repetitive process, which leads to a decrease in patients' motivation to therapy over time. Thus, many applications use different strategies, such as gamification, to increase user engagement. Gamification consists of applying game elements and mechanics in non-game contexts to create a more enjoyable environment for rehabilitation sessions and increase patient motivation. Although many companies use exergames as a gamification solution, these require active involvement and the exertion of physical force by the patient. Thus, the aim of this project is to design, implement, integrate and evaluate a gamification strategy during the course of the patient's therapy and without modifying the nature of the exercises to increase adherence to the ReHub platform. To this end, an analysis of the platform and user profiles has been carried out, as well as a study of current gamification strategies and mechanisms to increase adherence. In addition, a gamification strategy has been designed, implemented and included into the platform. A first validation of the usability and potential interest of patients in this gamification has been done.