by Lucia Perez Diego -

Gamification for elderly patients

Gamification in healthcare refers to the use of game-like elements, such as points, rewards, and competition, to engage patients and encourage healthy behaviours. This approach has become increasingly popular in recent years, as healthcare providers look for new and innovative ways to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. Some of the ways that gamification is being used in healthcare today.

  1. Patient engagement: Gamification can be a fun and effective way to engage patients in their own care. By using points, rewards, and competition, patients are motivated to become more involved in their health and wellness and are more likely to stick to their treatment plans.
  2. Adherence to treatment: Gamification can help improve adherence to treatment, as patients are incentivized to take their medications and attend appointments. For example, patients can earn points for taking their medications on time and can compete with other patients to see who is most compliant with their treatment plan.
  3. Health tracking: Gamification can also be used to encourage patients to track their health and wellness metrics, such as weight, blood pressure, and physical activity levels. By using a point system, patients are motivated to improve their health and are rewarded for reaching their goals.
  4. Chronic disease management: Gamification can be particularly effective in the management of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. By using games and other game-like elements, patients are encouraged to take an active role in their care and are more likely to adhere to their treatment plans.
  5. Mental health: Gamification is also being used in the treatment of mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. For example, patients can use gamified apps to track their moods, complete therapy assignments, and earn rewards for meeting their goals.

In conclusion, gamification in healthcare is a growing trend that has shown promising results. By incorporating game-like elements into patient care, healthcare providers can create a more enjoyable and engaging experience for patients, which can lead to better outcomes and higher levels of satisfaction and overall health status.

>>> But how can all be applied when we talk about the elderly population?

Gamification can be an effective tool for engaging and motivating elderly patients as well. As older adults face a unique set of challenges related to their health and wellness, gamification can help to make their healthcare experience more enjoyable and effective. How gamification can be applied to improve the health and well-being of elderly patients.

  1. Encouraging physical activity: Physical activity is crucial for maintaining good health and independence as we age. Gamification can be used to encourage older adults to be more active by making exercise and physical activity more fun and engaging.
  2. Medication management: Many older adults take multiple medications, which can be difficult to manage and can lead to non-adherence. Gamification can be used to help older adults remember to take their medications and stay on track with their treatment plans.
  3. Cognitive stimulation: As we age, it’s important to maintain cognitive function and prevent decline. Gamification can be used to encourage older adults to engage in activities that stimulate their minds, such as crosswords, word games, and other brain games. These activities can be made more engaging by using gamification elements, such as points and rewards, to encourage patients to participate.
  4. Social engagement: Social isolation is a major problem for many older adults, and it can have a significant impact on their health and well-being. Gamification can be used to encourage social engagement and build a sense of community among older adults.

Gamification can be a valuable tool for improving the health and well-being of older adults. By using game-like elements, healthcare providers can make the healthcare experience more enjoyable and effective for older patients, improve patient outcomes and enhance the overall quality of life for older adults.

_ Literature:

  • K. White, Becky et al: Gamification and older adults: Opportunities for gamification to support health promotion initiatives for older adults in the context of COVID-19. In The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific (2022), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2022.100528
  • de Vette, Frederiek et al: Engaging Elderly People in Telemedicine Through Gamification. In JMIR Publications – Advanced Digital Health and Open Science 3, no 2 (2015), DOI:10.2196/games.4561
by Alicia Martinez Lopez -

Master’s Thesis: Designing a board game to enhance memory retention.

What impact does playing board games have on memory retention in higher education design studies? 

Nowadays with the overload of information and technologies, it is very easy to get lost in the process of learning. It depends on the individual and the method of teaching. Some people can retain information better if they are able to actively engage with the material and apply it to their lives, rather than using traditional methods of memorizing and writing information in exams. Exams can be a good way to assess an individual’s understanding of a subject, but they may not be the best way to ensure that the information is retained in the long-term. It can be hard to remember all the information when you only read from a textbook. 

Board games can be effective tools for improving memory and cognitive skills, and research has shown that they can be especially helpful for teaching new concepts and helping students retain information (Chang et al. 2022). Board games can improve memory, concentration, and cognitive skills, as well as promote collaboration and problem-solving skills. 

The idea is to take a critical look at the current state of teaching methods in the field of design (Vance, and Smith 2010. Dimitrios et al. 2013, Noblitt). The thesis will focus on trying to improve the memory retention of students with an interactive and gamified technique. Therefore, the target group for this project is design students between 18 and 30 years old. It will examine how this problem has been exacerbated by the growing emphasis on preparing for testing rather than learning. After this initial research and testing, the thesis will consider potential solutions to the issue and propose new ways to reform the system with the creation of a fun board game that will be tested in an experiment later. 

In terms of structure, it will start with the basic research that will determine similar cases, ideas, or best practises. A public online database will be created, containing all the data obtained from the case studies (e.g., https://bit.ly/3ZiRUpc). This content will be a help point for the research phase. With this information, and a possible initial survey, the importance of the topic will be specified. 

The development will start considering information collected in the research phase with the idea of creating good and understandable mechanics. With this done, the prototyping and testing loop will start to find the best design for the boardgame. Once it is satisfactory, the visual design will be finalised, and the game will be created. The last step will be to answer the research question using an AB Testing exercise with two groups of users.

As a result, an experiment can be conducted to compare the effectiveness of a board game with traditional teaching techniques in improving memory retention. The experiment would involve two groups of people, one group playing a board game focused on a subject and the other group using traditional techniques such as reading from a textbook. The experiment would measure the 

performance of each group before and after the experiment, including the number of facts they can remember and how long they can retain them. The experiment could also measure variables such as the level of engagement and enjoyment of the participants. 

The goal of the experiment would be to provide evidence that board games can be more effective than traditional techniques in improving memory retention. The proposed board game would be designed with the principles of design in mind and target a specific group of students. To be able to reach this conclusion, the design process would involve research, analysis of existing board game designs and mechanics, playtesting to find the best user experience, and visual design. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bochennek, Konrad, Boris Wittekindt, Stefanie-Yvonne Zimmermann, and Thomas Klingebiel. ‘More than Mere Games: A Review of Card and Board Games for Medical Education’. Medical Teacher 29, no. 9–10 (2007): 941–48. 

Chang, You-Syuan, Sophia H. Hu, Shih-Wei Kuo, Kai-Mei Chang, Chien-Lin Kuo, Trung V. Nguyen, and Yeu-Hui Chuang. ‘Effects of Board Game Play on Nursing Students’ Medication Knowledge: A Randomized Controlled Trial’. Nurse Education in Practice 63 (1 August 2022): 103412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2022.103412. 

Dimitrios, Belias, Sdrolias Labros, Kakkos Nikolaos, Maria Koutiva, and Koustelios Athanasios. ‘Traditional Teaching Methods vs. Teaching through the Application of Information and Communication Technologies in the Accounting Field: Quo Vadis?’ European Scientific Journal 9, no. 28 (2013). 

Ezezika, Obidimma, Maria Fusaro, James Rebello, and Asal Aslemand. ‘The Pedagogical Impact of Board Games in Public Health Biology Education: The Bioracer Board Game’. Journal of Biological Education, 13 April 2021, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2021.1909638. 

Gobet, Fernand, Jean Retschitzki, and Alex de Voogt. Moves in Mind: The Psychology of Board Games. Psychology Press, 2004. 

Hinebaugh, Jeffrey P. A Board Game Education. R&L Education, 2009. 

Mozer, Michael C., and Robert V. Lindsey. Predicting and Improving Memory Retention: Psychological Theory Matters in the Big Data Era, 2016. 

Noblitt, Lynnette, Diane E Vance, and Michelle L DePoy Smith. ‘A Comparison of Case Study and Traditional Teaching Methods for Improvement of Oral Communication and Critical-Thinking Skills’. Journal of College Science Teaching 39, no. 5 (2010): 26. 

Phuong, Hoang Yen, and Pham Nguyen. ‘The Impact of Board Games on EFL Learners’ Grammar Retention’. International Journal of Research & Method in Education 7 (January 2017): 61–66. https://doi.org/10.9790/7388-0703026166. 

Woods, Stewart. Eurogames: The Design, Culture and Play of Modern European Board Games. McFarland, 2012. 

by Alicia Martinez Lopez -

Analysis of a Master Thesis: Gamification in Tourism – A Design Thinking Approach to Memorable Experience Design.

For this exercise, a master thesis written by Rolf Oftedal, Markus Hasler Sveen & Kristian Listou Riksheim for the school of economics and business at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences was analysed. The paper was written in 2021, so it is quite current (it mentions the pandemic) and its title is “Gamification in Tourism – A Design Thinking Approach to Memorable Experience Design”.

Level of design

The design is quite simple. It certainly shows the formality of the subject and the document, but it can look a bit sloppy when it comes to displaying images.

In terms of text and font sizes, it is a very good design. Differentiating between the different sections is easy at a glance thanks to the separations. 

It could have been more pleasant if more images or graphics had been used to show the content quickly and visually.

Degree of innovation

The topic of tourism and gamification is quite common. Many designers are using these concepts as a way of addressing users. This may make the topic not very innovative, but it still has a lot to be explored and is seeing its peak with the emergence of COVID-19. Many tourism companies are considering gamification as a means of reaching the public again.

Independence

The project appears to have been carried out independently. It is true that it is done by a group of three people, but the analyses of each example and all the details of the project are their own conclusions.

Outline and structure

The presented structure is very well organised and gives you important data at a first glance thanks to the abstract divided into background, purpose, method and findings. With only one page it gives you a clear and straightforward summary. 

The organisation is progressive and takes you from theoretical beginnings to a practical end with many results. At no point is any content shown that has not been explained before, which makes the reading a very simple task. The authors follow the chosen study method throughout: Empathise, Define, Ideation & Prototyping and Testing & Iteration.

Degree of communication

Referring back to the previous point, it is very easy to read as the more complex terms are explained throughout. 

Moreover, as it is a project carried out by different authors from different disciplines, the content is very complete and the explanations are simplified as much as possible.

Scope of the work

It is a very comprehensive project with three authors coming from different fields. This ensures that the content covers everything that is needed. 

It may be a project that individually could be considered too much work, but as a team and with a good organisation, an exemplary result can be achieved.

Orthography and accuracy

Spelling is correct, and accuracy is exemplary. Information from different backgrounds is visible, making it a comprehensive work.

Literature

The document is correctly cited and has an extensive bibliography (more than four pages). It is true that at a quick glance it is difficult to see the points cited as there are no footnotes, but they still include a correct citation type.

Oftedal, R; Hasler, M; Listou, K. “Gamification in Tourism – A Design Thinking Approach to Memorable Experience Design.“ Master’s Thesis, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 2021. https://bit.ly/3XMGNnB