Design and implementation of a web-based Tailored Gymnasium to enhance self-management of Fibromyalgia

  • Authors:

  • Luca Camerini;Michele Giacobazzi;Marco Boneschi;Peter J. Schulz;Sara Rubinelli

  • Affiliations:

  • Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland 6904;Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland 6904;Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland 6904;Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland 6904;Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, University of Lucerne and Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland 6207

  • Venue:
  • User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction
  • Year:
  • 2011

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Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe the design and development of an online gymnasium that proposes personalized exercise videos to users affected by fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia syndrome is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons, usually associated with sleep disorders and fatigue. Physical exercise is considered as an important component of non-pharmacological treatments of this pathology, and the internet is praised as a powerful resource to promote and improve physical exercise. Yet, while online personalization of health interventions to consumers must be grounded on empirically based guidelines, guidelines for fibromyalgia-targeted exercises are scant. The achievements presented in this paper are twofold. Firstly, we illustrate how we reached definition of the relevant factors for tailoring exercise videos in relation to fibromyalgia. Secondly, we explain the general framework of the application that is composed of an interview module (that investigates the determinant values of a specific user), an adaptation module (presenting the tailored set of exercises) and a logging component (used to monitor users' interactions with the website). The paper concludes with a discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed approach.