PROGame: A process framework for serious game development for motor rehabilitation therapy

PLoS One. 2018 May 16;13(5):e0197383. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197383. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Serious game development for rehabilitation therapy is becoming increasingly popular because of the motivational advantages that these types of applications provide. Consequently, the need for a common process framework for this category of software development has become increasingly evident. The goal is to guarantee that products are developed and validated by following a coherent and systematic method that leads to high-quality serious games. This paper introduces a new process framework for the development of serious games for motor rehabilitation therapy. We introduce the new model and demonstrate its application for the development of a serious game for the improvement of the balance and postural control of adults with cerebral palsy. The development of this application has been facilitated by two technological transfer contracts and is being exploited by two different organizations. According to clinical measurements, patients using the application improved from high fall risk to moderate fall risk. We believe that our development strategy can be useful not only for motor rehabilitation therapy, but also for the development of serious games in many other rehabilitation areas.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cerebral Palsy / rehabilitation
  • Exercise Therapy / methods*
  • Games, Recreational*
  • Humans
  • Rehabilitation / methods*

Grants and funding

We acknowledge the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO), the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF, EU) for its support to the projects TIN2016-81143-R (MINECO/AEI/ERDF, EU) and TIN2015-67149-C3-2-R (MINECO/AEI/ERDF, EU). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.