Evaluating the usability of a virtual reality-based Android application in managing the pain experience of wheelchair users

Fotios Spyridonis; Tor-Morten Gronli; Jarle Hansen; Gheorghita Ghinea

doi:10.1109/EMBC.2012.6346462

Evaluating the usability of a virtual reality-based Android application in managing the pain experience of wheelchair users

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2012:2012:2460-3. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2012.6346462.

Authors

Fotios Spyridonis¹, Tor-Morten Gronli, Jarle Hansen, Gheorghita Ghinea

Affiliation

¹ Department of Information Systems and Computing, Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK. Fotios.Spyridonis@ brunel.ac.uk

PMID: 23366423
DOI: 10.1109/EMBC.2012.6346462

Abstract

Pain constitutes an important medical concern that can have severe implications to a wheelchair user's quality of life. Results from studies indicate that pain is a common problem in this group of individuals, having a reported frequency of always (12%) and everyday (33%). This incidence signifies the need for more applicable and effective pain management clinical tools. As a result, in this paper we present an Android application (PainDroid) that has been enhanced with Virtual Reality (VR) technology for the purpose of improving the management of pain. Our evaluation with a group of wheelchair users revealed that PainDroid demonstrated high usability among this population, and is foreseen that it can make an important contribution in research on the assessment and management of pain.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cell Phone*
Humans
Pain*
Wheelchairs*