Games and Exergames in Rehabilitation

摘要

Following major surgery or a life-changing injury, the lengthy rehabilitation process requires adherence to a prescribed exercise regimen. Dropout rates of up to 70 percent indicate that many patients never fully regain their pre-injury health status. Clearly, rehabilitation is an ideal area in which HCI/UX game developers can make a huge difference. The popularity of rehabilitation VR exergames is increasing, but these remain largely ineffective. Most games provide temporary pain relief, but chronic pain management is rarely, if ever, addressed. You need an almost superhuman will to succeed in continued exercise when your body hurts badly. Yet few exergames even mention the essential goal of maintaining player motivation. The Abracadabra series invites us to wave a magic wand in fulfilment of one wish for the HCI/UX community. As a former nurse, my biggest wish is that future exergames be more informed by an understanding of player motivation and of the construct of pain than is currently the case.