Rehabilitation Meets the Metaverse: Human-Centered Design Applied to TERSICORE XRM

This contribution proposes a participatory human-centered design methodology related to TERSICORE XRM project conceived to guide the creation of a "MetaRehabVerse", a metaverse-based telerehabilitation system targeting cognitive and sensorimotor recovery. By combining virtual environments with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health to enhance patient management, the system includes five modules accessible through immersive and non-immersive modalities. Three qualitative research phases engage stakeholders: focus groups with clinicians (Phase 1) and patients (Phase 2) and individual interviews with virtual rehabilitation experts (Phase 3). Data analysis is based on applied thematic analysis to ensure the identification of valuable requirements for system usability, adaptability, and sustainability within healthcare contexts in the early development phases. Findings will inform the development of the TERSICORE XRM system and its modules, with the potential for replication in future projects and for evaluating the actual product of the project.