Developing Exergames for Psoriatic Arthritis using Agile Storyboarding and Game Design Processes

Jun 27, 2024

Enhancing Mobility and Quality of Life through Agile Co-Designed Exergames for Psoriatic Arthritis

We are pleased to announce our latest study, "Developing Exergames for Psoriatic Arthritis using Agile Storyboarding and Game Design Processes", presented at PETRA 2024. This research, a part of the Horizon Europe iPROLEPSIS project, focuses on creating Exergames to improve physical activity and well-being for individuals with Psoriatic Arthritis.

Abstract

Serious Games (SGs) offer significant potential in healthcare for disease assessment and intervention, enhancing patients’ quality of life. Exercise SGs, or Exergames, promote physical activity and mobility in a gamified environment, encouraging tailored exercises based on individual abilities and needs. Here, within the Horizon Europe iPROLEPSIS project that targets Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA), we describe the design process of Exergames to address PsA symptoms, including morning stiffness, impaired finger/hand and wrist functionality, and motor asymmetry. From a methodological point of view, the storyboarding technique was adopted to facilitate the visualization of the proposed Exergame scenarios, including the graphical user interface, interactive game elements, narratives, characters, and contexts related to the PsA condition. This approach has been implemented within an agile game development methodology, which includes gathering feedback early on to iteratively refine both the game ideas and prototype. Informed by the results of the game design via two agile sessions incorporating 25 participants (PsA patients, clinicians, technology developers, facilitators/observers), the current efforts are focused on developing the game prototypes and corresponding mock-ups, preparing them for upcoming clinical validation trials. The Exergames development lays the groundwork for an innovative framework to improve gross and fine motor symptoms in PsA patients. This framework could inform healthcare providers and policymakers about its potential inclusion in routine PsA management.

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