GAMing as PeER Support for Spinal Cord Injury Patients (GAMER): Co-Design Study Protocol

Background: Individuals undergoing rehabilitation often experience social isolation, which can hinder recovery and overall well-being. In response to patient feedback, a national wide specialist rehabilitation hospital launched a new peer support programme in 2024 that uses video gaming as a medium for connection and engagement for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants meet regularly to play and discuss games, exploring the therapeutic potential of gaming while strengthening peer relationships within the rehabilitation environment. The project aims to enhance social connection and peer support through the structured use of gaming, with the broader goal of establishing a sustainable, nationwide gaming-based peer support network.

 

Approach: The GAMER Project adopts a mixed methods and citizen science approach, guided by the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model to evaluate gaming-based peer support in SCI rehabilitation. The proposed project consists of four phases: 1) Co-design: SCI participants co-design initial evaluation tools focusing on quality of life and interview schedule for assessing social function, 2) Development: Participants refine and validate the tools to assess gaming’s impact on social interaction and engagement, 3)

 

 Implementation: Data are collected using pre- and post-intervention surveys and interviews, with trained citizen scientists assisting in data collection, and 4) Dissemination: Findings are synthesised to inform best practices, and a new group of citizen scientists is recruited to expand the GAMER network.

 

Results: The project will establish an adaptive gaming room and the framework to evaluate gaming’s role in enhancing motivation, engagement, and functional recovery, while co-developing a scalable and sustainable peer support model for people with SCI.

 

 

 

Implications: The GAMER project demonstrates a scalable, patient-led model that integrates gaming into rehabilitation as structured peer support. By combining co-design, behavioural science, and citizen participation, the project offers a transferable framework for strengthening social connectedness and informing rehabilitation strategies internationally.