Expert Opinion on the Development of Serious Games for RehabilitationNCT07460778
Development of Serious Games for Rehabilitation: a Delphi Study
A study testing Online survey, Focus group discussions and Ranking results in people with Expert Opinion on the Development of Serious Games for Rehabilitation, run by Vrije Universiteit Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
This clinical study has been organised to identify the needs and recommendations of experts in the field of rehabilitation technology and gamification on the development of serious games for rehabilitation. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Expert Opinion on the Development of Serious Games for Rehabilitation
- What is being tested?
- Online survey, Focus group discussions and Ranking results
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 34 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 10 Mar 2026to 1 Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Experience with (the development of) serious games for rehabilitation
Who cannot join
- No experience with (the development of) serious games for rehabilitation
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Development of Serious Games for Rehabilitation, a Delphi Study
This clinical study has been organised to identify the needs and recommendations of experts in the field of rehabilitation technology and gamification on the development of serious games for rehabilitation. Based on the information gathered we aim to construct a blueprint for the development of serious games for rehabilitation that maximizes clinical outcomes and the effective implementation in rehabilitation.
Read the detailed description
This study will consist of different phases:
Phase 1:
The first phase consists of an online survey aimed at identifying important tools and methods for each stage of development, as well as across all stages of development. Furthermore, the survey will try to identify key principles that should be taken into account across the entire developmental process of serious games for rehabilitation.
Phase 2:
The second phase consists of online focus groups that will be organized to discuss the results of the online survey and add missing data if needed. These discussions will be held using Microsoft Teams. During these discussions a general model will be discussed en a revision of the results from the previous phase will be done. The results from this discussion will be used to structure the next phase.
Phase 3:
The third and final phase consists of consecutive online surveys in which you will be asked to rank the different items that were mentioned in the previous phase. These results will be collected and analyzed. After which you will get the chance to revise your answer based on all the results. This will be repeated until consensus is reached.
- Being tested
- Online survey, Focus group discussions, Ranking results
- Keywords
- Delphi study, Serious games for rehabilitation, Rehabilitation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Online surveyOther
The first phase will consist of an online survey questionnaire aimed at identifying key development methods and tools for each stage of development. The survey will be structured using the Technology Readiness Level model and, by using open questions, experts will be asked to give their input on this model and the important items for each stage of development. Furthermore, the experts will be asked to identify the key principles that they find detrimental to the development of serious games for rehabilitation across all stages of development. Data collection for the first phase is completed after at least 30 participants answered the online survey. After all data is collected, the results from this online survey will be thematically analyzed and used to structure the focus group discussions organized in phase two.
Focus group discussionsOther
The second phase of the modified Delphi study will consist of online focus group discussions (using Microsoft Teams) with 6 to 12 experts per session. First, a summary will be given of the results from the survey phase. Following this, the experts will be asked to revise and add onto these results for each stage of development. Additionally the experts will be asked to revise the key principles that span across all stages of development and add missing key principles. Lastly they will be asked to identify already existing methodologies or frameworks that incorporate some (or all) of the mentioned tools or methods.
Ranking resultsOther
In the next phase, experts will be asked to rank the different items mentioned during the focus group discussions through an online survey using Microsoft Forms. For each stage of development, the relevant items will be presented, and the experts will have to rank these items based on their relative priority for the development of serious games for rehabilitation. The results from this phase will be anonymized and sent to the experts as feedback. Afterwards the experts will have the chance to revise their answers based on this feedback.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Other | The first phase consists of an online survey aimed at identifying important tools and methodologies for each stage of development, as well as across all stages of development. To structure this survey the TRL model will be used as a conceptual framework (appendix 1). The different levels of the model will be used as stages of development to base the questions on. However, the aim is not to strictly adhere to this model, but to gather input on what methods should be used and what can be adjusted from existing models such as the TRL model to maximize adoption of serious games into care. Furthermore, the survey will try to identify key principles that should be taken into account across the entire developmental process of serious games for rehabilitation. These key principles, such as a user-centered approach, working evidence-based, maximizing engagement of end-users, etc., are the foundation for the developmental process and should be adhered to throughout the entire process. Receives: Other: Online survey |
| Phase 2 | Other | The second phase consists of focus groups that will be organized to discuss the results of the online survey and add missing data if needed. The focus group discussions will also be structured based on the TRL model used during the survey and will expand on the results mentioned by the experts (appendix 2 and 3). After all focus group discussion are completed the results will be anonymized, aggregated and reported to the experts. This will provide them with the opportunity to further revise their answers based on all the results. Receives: Other: Focus group discussions |
| Phase 3 | Other | The third and final phase consists of consecutive online surveys in which the experts are asked to rank the different items that were mentioned in the previous phases based on priority. Similar to the focus group discussions, the answers from these phases will be anonymized, aggregated and reported to the experts after each ranking phase. Experts will have the opportunity to revise their answers across multiple rounds. This ranking process is repeated until consensus is reached for all items. Consensus will be defined using the Kendall's W coefficient of concordance. Kendall's W is a value between 0 and 1 assessing agreement, with a W value of 0.5 indicating moderate agreement and 0.7 indicating strong agreement. A cut-off of 0.5 will be used to determine consensus. Receives: Other: Ranking results |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Information on the development process of serious games for rehabilitation
Throughout the Delphi study, qualitative data will be collected (online surveys, focus group discussions, etc.) from experts in the field of serious games for rehabilitation on what methods and/or tools shoudl be used in the development process of serious games for rehabilitation. This data will be collected for all different stages of the development process. Furthermore, overarching key principles that span across all stages of development will also be identified based on expert opinion.
Measured: Through study completion, on average 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Mar 2026
- Study start10 Mar 2026
- Primary completion1 Aug 2026
- Study completion1 Sep 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Expert Opinion on the Development of Serious Games for RehabilitationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Vrije Universiteit BrusselThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- This study follows a modified Delphi methodology. Consecutive rounds will be organised, consisting of online surveys and focus group discussions.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 34 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Eva Swinnen, Principal investigator, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07460778
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Delphi serious games
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 2 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Development of Serious Games for Rehabilitation, a Delphi Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07460778
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Delphi serious games
- Keywords
- Delphi study, Serious games for rehabilitation, Rehabilitation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 34 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Vrije Universiteit BrusselUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Sep 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 10 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This clinical study has been organised to identify the needs and recommendations of experts in the field of rehabilitation technology and gamification on the development of serious games for rehabilitation. Based on the information gathered we aim to construct a blueprint for the development of serious games for rehabilitation that maximizes clinical outcomes and the effective implementation in rehabilitation.
Detailed description
This study will consist of different phases:
Phase 1:
The first phase consists of an online survey aimed at identifying important tools and methods for each stage of development, as well as across all stages of development. Furthermore, the survey will try to identify key principles that should be taken into account across the entire developmental process of serious games for rehabilitation.
Phase 2:
The second phase consists of online focus groups that will be organized to discuss the results of the online survey and add missing data if needed. These discussions will be held using Microsoft Teams. During these discussions a general model will be discussed en a revision of the results from the previous phase will be done. The results from this discussion will be used to structure the next phase.
Phase 3:
The third and final phase consists of consecutive online surveys in which you will be asked to rank the different items that were mentioned in the previous phase. These results will be collected and analyzed. After which you will get the chance to revise your answer based on all the results. This will be repeated until consensus is reached.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- This study follows a modified Delphi methodology. Consecutive rounds will be organised, consisting of online surveys and focus group discussions.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Other | Other: Online surveyThe first phase consists of an online survey aimed at identifying important tools and methodologies for each stage of development, as well as across all stages of development. To structure this survey the TRL model will be used as a conceptual framework (appendix 1). The different levels of the model will be used as stages of development to base the questions on. However, the aim is not to strictly adhere to this model, but to gather input on what methods should be used and what can be adjusted from existing models such as the TRL model to maximize adoption of serious games into care. Furthermore, the survey will try to identify key principles that should be taken into account across the entire developmental process of serious games for rehabilitation. These key principles, such as a user-centered approach, working evidence-based, maximizing engagement of end-users, etc., are the foundation for the developmental process and should be adhered to throughout the entire process. |
| Phase 2 | Other | Other: Focus group discussionsThe second phase consists of focus groups that will be organized to discuss the results of the online survey and add missing data if needed. The focus group discussions will also be structured based on the TRL model used during the survey and will expand on the results mentioned by the experts (appendix 2 and 3). After all focus group discussion are completed the results will be anonymized, aggregated and reported to the experts. This will provide them with the opportunity to further revise their answers based on all the results. |
| Phase 3 | Other | Other: Ranking resultsThe third and final phase consists of consecutive online surveys in which the experts are asked to rank the different items that were mentioned in the previous phases based on priority. Similar to the focus group discussions, the answers from these phases will be anonymized, aggregated and reported to the experts after each ranking phase. Experts will have the opportunity to revise their answers across multiple rounds. This ranking process is repeated until consensus is reached for all items. Consensus will be defined using the Kendall's W coefficient of concordance. Kendall's W is a value between 0 and 1 assessing agreement, with a W value of 0.5 indicating moderate agreement and 0.7 indicating strong agreement. A cut-off of 0.5 will be used to determine consensus. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Experience with (the development of) serious games for rehabilitation
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- No experience with (the development of) serious games for rehabilitation
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Online surveyThe first phase will consist of an online survey questionnaire aimed at identifying key development methods and tools for each stage of development. The survey will be structured using the Technology Readiness Level model and, by using open questions, experts will be asked to give their input on this model and the important items for each stage of development. Furthermore, the experts will be asked to identify the key principles that they find detrimental to the development of serious games for rehabilitation across all stages of development. Data collection for the first phase is completed after at least 30 participants answered the online survey. After all data is collected, the results from this online survey will be thematically analyzed and used to structure the focus group discussions organized in phase two. | Other | Phase 1 |
| Focus group discussionsThe second phase of the modified Delphi study will consist of online focus group discussions (using Microsoft Teams) with 6 to 12 experts per session. First, a summary will be given of the results from the survey phase. Following this, the experts will be asked to revise and add onto these results for each stage of development. Additionally the experts will be asked to revise the key principles that span across all stages of development and add missing key principles. Lastly they will be asked to identify already existing methodologies or frameworks that incorporate some (or all) of the mentioned tools or methods. | Other | Phase 2 |
| Ranking resultsIn the next phase, experts will be asked to rank the different items mentioned during the focus group discussions through an online survey using Microsoft Forms. For each stage of development, the relevant items will be presented, and the experts will have to rank these items based on their relative priority for the development of serious games for rehabilitation. The results from this phase will be anonymized and sent to the experts as feedback. Afterwards the experts will have the chance to revise their answers based on this feedback. | Other | Phase 3 |
Primary outcome
Information on the development process of serious games for rehabilitation
Time frame: Through study completion, on average 1 year
Throughout the Delphi study, qualitative data will be collected (online surveys, focus group discussions, etc.) from experts in the field of serious games for rehabilitation on what methods and/or tools shoudl be used in the development process of serious games for rehabilitation. This data will be collected for all different stages of the development process. Furthermore, overarching key principles that span across all stages of development will also be identified based on expert opinion.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Eva Swinnen principal investigator
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Online survey, Focus group discussions and Ranking results in people with Expert Opinion on the Development of Serious Games for Rehabilitation, run by Vrije Universiteit Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Belgium. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Information on the development process of serious games for rehabilitation (time frame: Through study completion, on average 1 year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2026.