Designing an intelligent Digital Rehabilitation Platform through collaboration with service users and professionals

Human-centered design guides the development process

Human-centered design is an iterative approach that places the end-user at the heart of the design process. It emphasizes empathy, inclusivity, and active engagement with stakeholders to gain a deep understanding of users and their needs and challenges. In the context of digital rehabilitation, involving both professionals and service users fosters a sense of ownership and ensures that diverse perspectives are considered. Finally, human-centered design enables developers to create accessible and human-centric solutions that meet the needs of the various service users in the best possible way.

Professionals and service users are involved in the design of the AIRe Platform through participatory methods throughout the whole project (2022–2024). Together with local partners, the project team has organized several co-creation sessions involving stakeholders from Indonesia, Rwanda, the UK, and Finland during the spring of 2023. The participants have produced a large amount of valuable data related to their current use of services, needs, challenges, and future opportunities that contributes to the development of a contextually relevant, meaningful, and motivational solution. Insights from the co-creation sessions organized by the Indonesian ITS University at the end of March 2023 are described below. Also, the main findings from the other countries are summarized.

Insights from the co-creation sessions

Participants’ attitudes towards digital rehabilitation services are somewhat varied based on the data collected in co-creation sessions in Indonesia. Some participants, both service users and professionals, lack knowledge about the opportunities and benefits of digital rehabilitation and have poor technical skills, which contribute to some resistance towards digital services. A certain proportion of service users (mostly the younger generation) is, however, quite familiar with different digital applications and platforms, and some service users are familiar with hospital-specific applications, such as booking services and telemedicine platforms.

Some professionals see opportunities for integrating digital rehabilitation services into primary health care but suggest that the success of rehabilitation, even when provided digitally, highly relies on professionals’ involvement. On the other hand, they understand that the use of technology can support the efficiency and accessibility of rehabilitation. Digital solutions could, e.g., facilitate the users reporting of their results from exercises, which professionals could monitor and follow up on. The fact that digital services can be accessed anywhere, at any time, and at a lower cost is also seen as an advantage by some professionals.

To strengthen positive attitudes and experiences, there is a need to educate both service users and professionals about the opportunities, benefits, and use of digital rehabilitation. If the service user understands the benefits of the digital service, they are motivated to learn to use it regularly and even intensively. In that case, switching from conventional to digital services can be done relatively quickly. When designing new digital solutions, it is crucial to ensure that the services are simple, accessible, hassle-free, and user-friendly, and that the processes support the integration and implementation of new solutions in existing or evolving systems.

Similar insights were found based on the co-creation sessions facilitated in the UK, Rwanda, and Finland. In general, all participants realize that there is a huge need to improve the accessibility and availability of rehabilitation services. Digitalization and new technologies are seen as ways to ease the situation globally. In addition, especially the younger generations are used to finding answers to their questions and solutions to their challenges in the first place digitally. Therefore, they will also require rehabilitation services to be delivered digitally. In general, service users of all ages would like the services delivered in familiar ways, which can mean a smart phone and social media for the younger generation and, e.g., computer or TV-based applications for the older generation. Participants from all locations also highlighted that digital-first rehabilitation cannot be applied to all situations with all service users, but it could be the first choice for a targeted group of people and an alternative or complementary way of delivering services for a larger group of service users.

Closing words

Human-centered design is a dynamic and iterative process. We will continue the process by testing the prototypes of the AIRe Platform with stakeholders globally, collecting feedback, and refining the platform based on continuous user input. This iterative approach ensures that the final product aligns with the various needs of service users. When individuals feel heard and see their inputs incorporated into the design, they are more likely to adopt and sustain their engagement with digital rehabilitation services, leading to long-term positive rehabilitation outcomes.