Proof of Concept

JMIR published a study in the July/Sep 2020 issue that found enjoyment and user experience satisfaction in children aged 8 to 10 years were positively correlated with their learning, According to Common Sense Media, about 67% of 5- to 8-year-olds own a mobile device, and spend, on average, an hour and 15 minutes a day using mobile media.

Daily app usage among children rose to an all-time high during COVID-19, and experts believe this will never return to pre-COVID times.

The most popular health apps downloaded for children have 3 common features:

Avatars
Gaming, and
Connection to social media

Pediatric Disease Care

The Re-Mission games for young cancer patients were conceived by Pam Omidyar and designed based on research by the nonprofit HopeLab Foundation, with direct input from young cancer patients and oncology doctors and nurses, and game developers.

Many hospitals recognize that video games can be critical to a child’s recovery. Child’s Play, a non-profit organization devoted to curating hundreds of video games across a network of hospital, have made it their mission to increase their presence in hospitals across the country. The DiMaggio Hospital has gone even further, designating ambassadors to help kids connect to their tech.

Medication and Chronic Condition Management

Bayer’s DIDGET™ Blood Glucometer for pediatric diabetes monitoring, links to Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DS™ Lite and rewards kids for consistent testing. Data from the glucometer easily downloads to Bayer’s diabetes management software.

mySugr, is an award-winning app developed by an Austrian company, and helps people with diabetes monitor and manage their diabetes. MySugr coaching program received accreditation from the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ACDES), is now integrated into Roche Diabetes Care Platform, and connected to the Eversense XL continuous glucose monitor.

Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

SCI Hard gaming app was developed by the University of Michigan with federal funding from a NIDILRR Field Initiated Development Grant to help people with spinal cord injury and dysfunction exercise new skills and manage their SCI care.

GestureTek developed the IREX (Immersive Rehabilitation Exercise) system, uses video gesture control technology that connect patients to immerse themselves in a virtual reality that lead them through various exercises, as programmed by their clinician.

This rewards-based gaming platform is being piloted to target behavior change as a clinical interventional tool for pediatric care focused on Type 1 Diabetes and Obesity as a starting point.

Clinical interventional gaming is rooted in the philosophy of gamers, such as Jane McGonigal, Pam Omidyar, Edward Castranova and many others on a growing system change.

Many thought leaders in the gaming industry view gaming interventions as a clear part of our future. They believe games can be cultivated to help us solve problems and improve our lives

Jane McGonigal, PhD, Director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future, Palo Alto, CA is also the author of the New York Times bestseller,

Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.

Dr. McGonigal, explains in her book and TedX talk that the gaming has the capacity to control your attention and also hack the Hippocampus, which we know is related to motivation and not giving up.

Bernard Suits, Philosopher

“…We thus call games “pastimes” and regard them as trifling fillers of the interstices of our lives. But they are much more important than that. They are clues to the future. And their serious cultivation now is perhaps our only salvation.”

Edward Castronova, Professor

"Over the next generation or two, ever larger numbers of people, hundreds of millions, will become immersed in virtual worlds and online games. While we are playing, things we used to do on the outside, in “reality,” won’t be happening anymore, or won’t be happening in the same way."