Developing a System for Post-Stroke Rehabilitation: An Exergames Approach

Abstract

Stroke episodes are a major health issue worldwide for which most patients require an initial period of special rehabilitation and functional treatment, involving medical doctors and specialized therapists, followed by ambulatory physiotherapy exercise. In this second period most do not fulfil the prescribed recovery plan, resulting in setbacks in their recovery. This paper reports on the design of a methodology to develop a system to support the ambulatory rehabilitation therapy, providing constant feedback to the clinicians, by means of an information system platform, and maintaining the patient motivation by using an exergames approach to design and deliver the therapy exercises to the patient.