Article: Video games in therapy: a therapist's perspective Journal: International Journal of Arts and Technology (IJART) 2013 Vol.6 No.1 pp.106 - 122 Abstract: This paper describes a user and task analysis, complemented with participatory design sessions, conducted to examine the role of therapists in the use of video games in therapy. The results show that video games were used often, but improvements could be made to make them more effective for the therapist. From these results, design recommendations for video games were derived. Recommendations include that a therapeutic video game should be easy to start-up and configure, yet support calibration and adaptation for a wide variety of impairments, should allow the therapist to support a patient during play and should support the therapist in tracking a patient's performance and reporting on his performance. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Video games in therapy: a therapist's perspective

Authors: Jan-Henk Annema; Mathijs Verstraete; Vero Vanden Abeele; Stef Desmet; David Geerts

Addresses: Centre for User Experience Research, IBBT-K.U.Leuven Future Health Departement, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium ' Centre for User Experience Research, IBBT-K.U.Leuven Future Health Departement, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium ' e-Media lab, Groep T Leuven Engineering College, Vesaliusstraat 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium and Centre for User Experience Research, IBBT-K.U.Leuven Future Health Departement, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium ' e-Media lab, Groep T Leuven Engineering College, Vesaliusstraat 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium ' Centre for User Experience Research, IBBT-K.U.Leuven Future Health Departement, Parkstraat 45, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Abstract: This paper describes a user and task analysis, complemented with participatory design sessions, conducted to examine the role of therapists in the use of video games in therapy. The results show that video games were used often, but improvements could be made to make them more effective for the therapist. From these results, design recommendations for video games were derived. Recommendations include that a therapeutic video game should be easy to start-up and configure, yet support calibration and adaptation for a wide variety of impairments, should allow the therapist to support a patient during play and should support the therapist in tracking a patient's performance and reporting on his performance.

Keywords: therapeutic video games; gaming; physical therapy; occupational therapy; therapists; user-centred design; game design recommendations; game design requirements; rehabilitation; user analysis; task analysis; participatory design; patient performance; therapy patients.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2013.050695

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2013 Vol.6 No.1, pp.106 - 122

Published online: 01 Dec 2012 *

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Title: Video games in therapy: a therapist's perspective

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