Implication of medical therapists in the introduction of innovative technologies: Specification of S’TIM, a rehabilitation serious game on a touch table case

Abstract

Patients with dysexecutive syndrome present cognitive, emotional and behavioural consequences. They are also unable to recognize their disorders, which limits their implication in rehabilitation. Improvements are observed but the transfer in daily-life is very limited and patients don’t recover their autonomy. In a context where innovation makes the difference, medical specialists found funds from Europe, and foundations to specify and develop an efficient technology to counteract this situation. A working group constituted by rehabilitation doctors, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists, a PhD Human-Centred Engineer and researchers in Informatics and Information & Communication Science defined a common scope statement project. After observation of patients and therapists, a work on the choice and specification of the technology to use has been done, thanks to feedbacks from the users ( Fig. 1 ). The multidisciplinary group specified and developed a persuasive serious-game to immerse patients in a virtual world with an elaborate scenario including various challenges ( Fig. 2 ). The chosen device is a robotised 46-inch touch-table, easy-to-use by people of all age. Each detail of the serious-game and its use was discussed with all the experts and take into account the various needs. Furthermore, this device is designed for patients and therapists. Thus, their implication that started since the beginning of the process reinforces their adhesion and reduces objections or rejections. This innovating and multidisciplinary program implicate various experts at each stage of the study with an iterative process to incorporate improvements following users’ feedbacks. Backed by a communication campaign, more funds were allocated, other rehabilitation centres show their interest to join the study and clinical studies should begin soon.