More Stamina, a Gamified mHealth Solution for Persons with Multiple Sclerosis: Research Through Design (Preprint)

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the world's most common neurologic disorders. Fatigue is one of most common symptoms that persons with MS experience, having significant impact on their quality of life and limiting their activity levels. Self-management strategies are used to support them in the care of their health. Mobile health (mHealth) solutions are a way to offer persons with chronic conditions tools to successfully manage their symptoms and problems. Gamification is a current trend among mHealth apps used to create engaging user experiences and is suggested to be effective for behavioral change. To be effective, mHealth solutions need to be designed to specifically meet the intended audience needs. User-centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy that proposes placing endusers' needs and characteristics in the center of software design and development and involving users early in the different phases of the software life cycle. There is a current gap in mHealth apps for persons with MS which presents an interesting area to explore.