Improving Patient Motivation and Participation in Rehabilitation Program Through Social Games

Improving Patient Motivation and Participation in Rehabilitation Program Through Social Games: A 3-arm Randomized Controlled Trial

This 12-week randomized controlled trial involves two intervention groups (i.e., single-player game group, competition game group) and one control group (i.e., conventional checkerboard group). The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of game-based training on patient motivation, exercise duration, and functional outcomes in comparison with the control group.

A 12-week three-arm randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the effects between the single-player game, competitive game and a control group (i.e. conventional training) on the motivation, exercise duration and functional improvement in a rehabilitation program. A mix of quantitative method (i.e., questionnaire) and qualitative methods (i.e., interview and observation) were used. The outcome measurements were: (1) motivation: Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), (2) participation: exercise duration, (3) functional improvement: nine-hole peg test (NHPT) and box and block test (BBT), and (4) user feedback.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age≥65 years
2. Has neurological disorders (e.g. cerebrovascular accident) with the need of upper limb rehabilitation;
3. Able to stand or sit unsupported for 10 minutes;
4. Discharged from hospital and living in community;
5. Able to communicate either in English or Mandarin; and
6. Able to provide informed written consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Has severe cognitive impairments (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score <10),
2. With serious cardiorespiratory conditions,
3. With capacity but do not wish to sign the consent form.