Summary
Objective
To present an overview of existing serious games in healthcare designed for patients,
and the evaluation of their effects. Such games, aiming to help patients better understand
their condi- tion or treatment, to foster healthy behaviors, or even to participate
in therapies, are expected to grow in parallel with the importance of the videogaming
industry.
Methods
References were searched in Medline and through recursive browsing of their citations.
Results
21 papers were identified and analyzed. Serious games are used to increase knowledge
and control, foster preventive behaviors, or can be used in therapies. Their positive
effects on improved patient understanding, adherence, and engagement, although documented
mostly in preliminary studies, calls for the development and more thorough evaluation
of these tools.
Keywords
Serious games - patient-centered healthcare software
