Keynote speaker – Professor Pamela Kato: The games and gamification in revolutionizing healthcare:...

Games and Gamification

Revolutionizing Healthcare: Risks

and BenefitsPamela M. Kato, EdM, PhD

Owner, P. M. Kato Consulting

My BackgroundHarvard and Stanford trained Health Psychologist

Founding President and CEO of HopeLab, led development of Re-Mission

Current Owner of P. M. Kato Consulting

Healthcare Challenges

Acute Care Model Chronic Care Model

Chronic diseases

Aging population

Prevention

Patient Safety

Behavioral Challenges

Effective treatments will have no impact on health outcomes if people fail to use them

There are no immediate rewards for engaging in preventive health behaviors

GamingBooming industry

The global videogame market will grow from $67 billion in 2012 to $82 billion in 2017 (DFC Intelligence)

One in three Europeans plays video games regularly (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, Consumer Research 2008)

People play video games because….

The 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry was released by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) at E3 2011.

The 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry was released by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) at E3 2011.

A Serious Game

A game that is designed for education and training usually on a digital platform

Games for Health Innovation

Passive Patient Patient Empowerment

The Fun Theory

http://youtu.be/2lXh2n0aPyw

Games Addressing Challenges

Chronic diseases

Aging population

Cancer

Since the 1980’s video games have been shown to be effective in healthcare in managing pain and nausea related to treatment

Video games improve management of nausea and conditioned nausea in pediatric oncology

.Redd WH, Jacobsen PB, Die-Trill M, Dermatis H, McEvoy M, Holland JC. Cognitive/attentional distraction in the control of conditioned nausea in pediatric cancer patients receiving chemotherapyJ Consult Clin Psychol. 1987 Jun;55(3):391-5.

http://youtu.be/kjLdu7SEMNs

Treatment Adherence

Effective cancer therapies exist but adolescents and young adults were not benefitting (Archie Blyer)

Re-Mission RCT Research

n=374 young people with cancer

34 medical centers

Design

Control game vs. Control game + Re-Mission

Primary outcome = Adherence to treatment

Results

Adherence

Re-Mission Today

• Available at www.re-mission.net

• Over 200,000 copies distributed world-wide

• Follow-up research showed that interactivity responsible for improved motivation to adhere

• Re-Mission 2 scheduled for 2013

Cole, S.W., Yoo, D.J., Knutson, B. (2012). Interactivity and Reward-Related Neural Activation During a Serious Videogame. PLoS ONE.

Asthma

Improved knowledge, self-efficacy to manage illness, and increased social support after 1 month of play (not randomized)

RCT showed increase in self-efficacy with game and decrease in self-efficacy with educational video

Lieberman, D.A. (2001). Management of chronic pediatric diseases with interactive health games: Theory and research findings. Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, 24(1), 26-38.

Diabetes

Improved knowledge, communication and self-efficacy to manage illness

Reduced urgent care visits related to diabetes

Brown, S. J., Lieberman, D. A., Germeny, B. A., Fan, Y. C., Wilson, D. M., & Pasta, D. J. (1997). Educational videogame for juvenile diabetes: Results of a controlled trial. Medical informatics, 22(1), 77-89.

Mental Health

Depression

• N=187 ages 12-19, seeking help for depressive symptoms

• SPARX vs. traditional therapy for 4 to 7 weeks

• Higher remission in depressive symptoms (44% vs. 26%) with SPARX

• Mean reduction in depressive symptoms and response rates no different from traditional therapy

Merry S, Stasiak K, Shepherd M, et al. The effectiveness of SPARX, a computerised self help intervention for adolescents seeking help for depression: randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. BMJ 2012;344:e2598.

Exergames with the Elderly• N=19 seniors (ages 63-94)

• Play for 35 mins, 3x/week for 12 weeks (84% adherence)

• Reduced depressive symptoms (QIDS)

• Increased mental QOL (SF-36)

• Improved neurocognitive status (RBANS)

D. Rosenberg, C. A. Depp, I. V. Vahia, J. Reichstadt, B. W. Palmer, J. Kerr, G. Norman, and D. V. Jeste. Exergames for Subsyndromal Depression in Older Adults: A Pilot Study of a Novel Intervention. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 18(3), 221-226, 2010.

Games for Stroke Rehab

Strengths and Weaknesses of G4H

• Willingness to invest in production

• A handful of studies support effectiveness

• Potential to address challenges in healthcare

• Not willing/able to invest in research or marketing/distribution

• Not enough research

• Can’t ask “how” they work until you know “if” they work

Threats and Opportunities • Scant evidence for cost-

effectiveness

• Rising costs if regulatory commissions are involved

• Lack of a proven sustainable business model

• Getting stuck in games as a cottage industry with a reputation for lousy production values

• Difficult to engage elderly population

• May be an economical way to promote health

• People are more digitally connected, data sharing is easier which could promote commercialization

• More and more serious games companies are being established

• Gamers are getting old!

• Gamification

Gamification

• The application of game design and game mechanics outside of an immersive game to increase engagement

• Loyalty programs

• Exclusive membership

• Badges

• Points

Conclusion

Research findings are promising but a majority of games for health are not evaluated or studied to improve the field

Marketing and distribution needs to be planned for from the beginning

Gamification can be a positive way to supplement and work with games to sustain behavior

Let’s work together for continued success!

Thank you!

E-mail: pamela.kato@yahoo.com

Twitter: @pamkato

Blog: pamkato.wordpress.com