Stroke Recovery Quest: Gamified VR Experience for Enhanced Rehabilitation

Abstract

In 2020, 80% of stroke victims in Norway survived. But even the most basic tasks might be difficult for them to do. The post-stroke recovery process is crucial to help the patient with getting back their ability to perform Activities of Daily Living. However, because rehabilitation requires patients to commit to a course of treatment over an extended period of time, keeping the motivation high throughout the journey can be difficult. Staying committed is also made more challenging by the onset of the recovery plateau. Fornix, a research partner on this study, has developed several VR applications for phobias, anxiety disorders and skill development. But it has been challenging to port those applications for post-stroke patients. According to studies, gamification has the potential to greatly increase engagement and motivation. For this, a mix-method research methodology was applied to evaluate the potential benefits of gamification in VR for better stroke rehabilitation. The secondary research was used to lay the foundation for the thesis, which was then enhanced by direct self-testing of the VR application and observational studies conducted in VRHab workshops. A deeper understanding of the domain was achieved through semi-structured interviews with the specialists in the field. Patients may be more motivated to participate if the game is customized to their specific rehabilitation goals and include skill advancement supervised by therapists. Additionally, a narrative that provides a sense of accomplishment through meaningful activities enhances the user experience. To design an engaging and motivating experience for patients, it will require gamification elements like badges, point systems, progress maps and aspects of surprise and urgency. Research and interviews with specialists led to conceptualization of two elements, a Dashboard (specialized system) to customize the game and a conceptual game prototype. While not meant to replace traditional rehabilitation, the study's findings suggest that VR innovations could be effective as supplementary treatment. Within the framework of the existing rehabilitation system, it has the potential to increase patient motivation and functional outcomes. Additionally, these developments could improve healthcare service efficacy and tackle issues with workforce shortages in long-term care within the context of Norway’s healthcare sector.