Objective: To investigate the potential use of the VMall as an evaluation tool for rehabilitation by (1) describing its use with 14 post-stroke participants and (2) by comparing performance within the VMall of the post-stroke participants to healthy control participants.
Design: Criterion standard.
Setting: University of Haifa and the Chaim Sheba Medical Center.
Participants: Fourteen post-stroke participants and 93 healthy participants from three age groups (children, young adults and older adults).
Procedure: The participants experienced the VMall and shopped for four grocery items and then completed feedback questionnaires.
Main outcome measures: The experience of the stroke participants is described in detail. The duration and number of mistakes made during a four-item shopping task within the VMall, overall feedback, and perceived exertion.
Results: Significant differences were found between each of the three healthy groups and the stroke group for the mean total time to shop (F(3,97) = 23.28, P < 0.000). The participants' overall feedback on the VMall was positive with no differences between the groups.
Conclusions: The VMall as used with the four-item shopping task was found to significantly differentiate between healthy to stroke participants. The shopping task was challenging for the stroke participants which have positive implications for treatment effectiveness.