Social isolation in specialist rehabilitation negatively affects recovery and mental health for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). In 2025, the National Rehabilitation Hospital introduced a gaming-based peer support programme to strengthen social connection and engagement. This summer project is Phase 2 of the broader, mixed-methods GAMER initiative, which is grounded in the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and COM-B model.¹,² Phase 1 involved co-design with SCI participants to produce the draft evaluation tools.
Student researcher will lead the pilot-testing and refinement of these evaluation tools. They will conduct cognitive interviews and usability assessments with SCI participants to explore the comprehension, clarity, and relevance of the draft measures (e.g., social support scales, peer support engagement items). This aligns with best practice for developing pragmatic, low-burden measures suitable for real clinical environments.
Student researcher will analyse qualitative feedback using inductive thematic analysis and quantitative data using descriptive statistics under supervision. Their analysis will directly contribute to insights into users’ experience and the development of a draft user guide for the next phase implementation. This project provides hands-on experience in patient-centred research, co-design methods, and mixed-methods analysis. The outputs will directly inform the ongoing development of a scalable, patient-led peer support model that improves the quality and integration of peer support services for the wider rehabilitation population across Ireland.