Usability Evaluation of a Game-Based Virtual Reality Station for Cognitive and Motor Training in General Occupational Therapy.

• Training with haptic devices has been suggested to enhance stroke rehabilitation using Virtual Reality (Broeren at al, 2006; Broeren, 2007). A usability study of such game-based activity station (curictus.com) was performed in a general rehabilitation centre. The aim was to explore 1) usability issues in a non-stroke-specialist organisation, and 2) usefulness for training other groups than stroke patients. Being a utility game device (Pareto, 2007), both perspectives of game experience and utility effect was considered in the evaluation (Raybourn, 2005; Wattenberg 2004). The study proceeded for 6 months and involved 3 occupational therapists and 16 patients. An individual training plan was developed. During the training period, hand movements, the choice of games, performance and experience was recorded. The occupational therapists’ experiences and judgement were collected at a mid-study interview and at the end of the study. Preliminary results indicate that the activity station is useful for other patient groups, in particular for patients with limited upper limb mobility. For cognitive training, the device works well for several subjects, but the task of 3D-interaction is too complex for some. The motivational effects vary, but positive patients got highly involved in the play resulting in intense training.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Usability Evaluation

Human Factors

User-computer interface

Computer-supported traning.

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