SpiroPlay: A Suite of Breathing Games for Spirometry

SpiroPlay addresses the critical challenge of ensuring accurate, unsupervised home spirometry for pediatric asthma patients by integrating gamified incentives into the testing process. The primary thesis posits that a suite of interactive, metaphor-based breathing games significantly improves patient compliance and data quality compared to traditional, non-gamified methods. By transforming clinical breathing maneuvers into engaging visual tasks, the system ensures that children meet the rigorous requirements necessary for effective medical monitoring.

The development process utilized a co-design methodology involving children and medical experts to create eleven distinct breathing metaphors, three of which were implemented in a Unity-based application. Testing conducted with 30 children between the ages of 6 and 11 revealed that while preferences for specific metaphors vary, the variety offered by a suite-based approach is essential for maintaining long-term engagement. Key findings indicate that games must provide independent, real-time feedback loops for inhalation, peak exhalation, and full exhalation to ensure clinical accuracy. Furthermore, the research highlights a delicate balance between challenge and reward; while visual milestones motivate performance, excessive difficulty can lead to frustration, necessitating adaptive content and positive reinforcement to sustain participation.

Ultimately, the study establishes five core design requirements for pediatric spirometry tools, emphasizing the necessity of personalized, unlockable content that adapts to a child's specific breathing challenges. By shifting the focus from repetitive medical testing to interactive play, this approach successfully increases the reliability of data collection in home environments. The findings suggest that future pediatric health technologies should prioritize modular, diverse game suites to accommodate individual preferences and improve the overall quality of longitudinal respiratory care.