Older adults' needs and requirements for a comprehensive exergame-based telerehabilitation system: A focus group study

Julia Seinsche; Eling D de Bruin; Ilaria Carpinella; Maurizio Ferrarin; Sotiria Moza; Francesco Rizzo; Claudia Salatino; Eleftheria Giannouli

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1076149

Older adults' needs and requirements for a comprehensive exergame-based telerehabilitation system: A focus group study

Front Public Health. 2023 Jan 11:10:1076149. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1076149. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Julia Seinsche¹, Eling D de Bruin^{1

2}, Ilaria Carpinella³, Maurizio Ferrarin³, Sotiria Moza⁴, Francesco Rizzo³, Claudia Salatino³, Eleftheria Giannouli^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Movement Control and Learning, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
² Department of Health, OST - Eastern Swiss University of Applied Sciences, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
³ IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, Milan, Italy.
⁴ Materia Group, Nicosia, Cyprus.
⁵ Division of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Abstract

Introduction: Telerehabilitation in older adults using information and communication technologies (ICTs) provides therapy, which is potentially equally effective as traditional rehabilitation, yet more accessible. This study aimed to analyze the needs and requirements of older adults (OA) and healthcare-professionals (HP) toward ICTs and telerehabilitation in general as well as toward a specific novel exergame-based telerehabilitation system (COCARE system, Dividat).

Materials and methods: The COCARE telerehabilitation system enables individual training based on exergames, as well as an assessment system and a digital centralized case management. Six focus groups with in total 34 participants were conducted. A mixed-methods approach was used comprising questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

Results: Both OA and HP would engage to an exergame-based telerehabilitation program. Major motivating factors are the relevance of such a training for health and the entertainment component of exergames. Main requirements are simplification of the system, variety, a personalized training, a constantly available contact person, and comprehensive instructions for use. Besides, HP praised the system's motivational effect, but remained concerned about risk of falls and social isolation.

Conclusion: ICTs for telerehabilitation are accepted by OA and HP but should be adapted hardware- and software-wise to address OA' age-stemming vulnerabilities (e.g., risk of falls) and low ICT literacy.

Keywords: User-Centered Design; exergame; information and communication technologies; motor-cognitive training; older adult; qualitative research; telerehabilitation.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Aged
Communication
Exergaming
Focus Groups
Humans
Motivation
Telerehabilitation* / methods

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the European Union and the involved National Funding Authorities (Innosuisse-the Swiss Innovation Agency, Italian Ministry of Health (fondi di Ricerca Corrente), and Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation) as part of the AAL Association Joint Programme under Grant number: aal-2020-7-145-CP. Open access funding provided by ETH Zurich.