Human-Computer Interaction and eHealth

The HCI and eHealth research unit performs research in Computer Science, focusing on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). eHealth is an important application domain in the overall research portfolio of the group. The HCI and eHealth research unit is led by Prof.dr. Karin Coninx, and the group has vast experience in basic and applied research, often in the context of a multi-/interdisciplinary research consortium. The most elaborated research lines are (1) technology-supported neurological rehabilitation and (2) prevention and rehabilitation for cardiac patients, next to exploratory research in a number of other Health related and technology-supported contexts. 

This research is driven by a stakeholder-oriented perspective (e.g. patient-centric approaches, design and development of tools for medical professionals that enhance efficiency and effectiveness, user experience engineering, persuasive design techniques, personalisation). At the same time, our work builds on solid know-how in computer science and Human-Computer Interaction (e.g. mobile computing and sensor-based data collection, interaction in virtual and augmented environments, serious games, (rehabilitation-)robotics and haptic feedback, methodological topics in user-centred software engineering,). 

We apply a grounded research methodology (e.g. building on theory and developing models and guidelines for design, setting up formal experiments in line with evidence-based approaches,). With a stakeholder-oriented perspective, (software-)technical know-how and solid methodological approaches, our research unit enhances links between end-users, medical and rehabilitation partners, and other technical partners in a multidisciplinary research collaboration. 

The main research lines of the HCI and eHealth group are:

• User-Centred Software Engineering; research on user-centred methodologies and tool development to support interdisciplinary design- and development teams; User Experience engineering and evaluation; participatory methods; application of these methodologies in diverse domains such as eHealth, Computer Linguistics,
• In-depth Human-Computer Interaction research in a selection of topics (based on former research); persuasive interactive systems, motivation, personalization and adaptivity, gamification /serious games, intelligible visualizations, virtual and augmented reality
  Example project: serious games (GWAP / Games With a Purpose) for in linguistics in Hercules COSER;
• HCI in technology-supported cardiac rehabilitation and prevention: telerehabilitation; theories/models/applications of Persuasion; theories/models/applications of Shared Decision Making; self-management apps and motivational apps; e-learning tool development; guideline-based exercise prescription + decision support system (EXPERT-tool);
  Example projects: H2020 CoroPrevention; FWO-ICA (international coordination action) EXPERT network, TBM PRIORITY, SharedHeart study (former BOF PhD),
• HCI in technology-supported neuro rehabilitation: robot-based rehabilitation with haptics, training environment with serious games, sensor-based tangible devices and environment for hand skill training with gamification, (mobile applications for) the combination of cognitive and motor skills in training and assessment; mobile app to stimulate exercise (walking) and assessment of fatigue,
  Example projects: Interreg I2-CoRT (accelerator for innovation in rehabilitation technology with e.g. serious games and robotics; finished 2021), internal projects with WalkWithMe app and dual tasking application,

The HCI and eHealth research unit of Hasselt University is a separate research group in the Faculty of Sciences, Computer Science since November 2021, after being embedded for a long time in UHasselts Expertise Centre for Digital Media, EDM.