Design and Validation of PACTUS 2.0: Usability for Neurological Patients, Seniors and Caregivers

Abstract

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Its sequelae require early, intensive, and repetitive rehabilitation, but is often ineffective due to a lack of patient motivation. Gamification has been incorporated in recent years as a response to this issue. The aim of incorporating games is to motivate patients to perform therapeutic exercises. This study presents PACTUS, a new version of a gamified device for stroke neurorehabilitation. Using a series of colored cards, a touchscreen station, and a sensorized handle with an RGB sensor, patients can interact with three games specifically programmed to work on different areas of neurorehabilitation. In addition to presenting the technical design (including energy consumption and sensor signal processing), the results of an observational study conducted with neurological patients, healthy older adults, and caregivers (who also completed the System Usability Scale) are also presented. This usability, safety, and satisfaction study provided an assessment of the device for future iterations. The inclusion of the experiences of the three groups (patients, caregivers, and older adults) provided a more comprehensive and integrated view of the device, enriching our understanding of its strengths and limitations. Although the results were preliminarily positive, areas for improvement were identified.