JMIR Serious Games

BACKGROUND: There is ample evidence that most children do not perform enough physical activity (PA). To address this major public health problem, the French government implemented 30 minutes of daily PA (DPA) at schools but did not provide any supplemental resources or concrete guidance. Considering both children's interest in video games and the need for teachers to complete their curriculum, the use of a learning-based exergame that combines PA and learning appears particularly relevant...

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has driven research interest on the therapy of individuals with autism, especially children, as early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can lead to improvement in the condition. With the widespread availability of virtual reality, augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality technologies to the public and the increasing popularity of mobile devices, the interest in the use of applications and technologies to provide support for the therapy of children with autism is growing...

BACKGROUND: Several electronic interventions have been used to improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Electronic interactive games specific to physical activity are available, but it is unclear if these are effective at improving glycemic control in patients with diabetes. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effects of electronic game-based interventions on glycemic control in patients with diabetes. METHODS: Relevant studies that were published before April 1, 2023, were searched from 5 databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library...

BACKGROUND: Adolescence is a crucial phase for early intervention and prevention of mental health problems. Casual video games are popular and have promise as a novel mechanism for reaching young people, but this potential has seldom been explored. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the acceptability, feasibility, and possible indicators of therapeutic changes after playing a purpose-built novel casual video game (Match Emoji) with simple mental health and well-being content among young adolescents...

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) therapy in adults with chronic spinal pain (CSP) is unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of VR therapy and other therapies in adults with CSP, especially patients with inflammation-related pain. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched up to November 11, 2023. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing adults with CSP receiving VR therapy with those receiving other therapies were included...

BACKGROUND: Serious games have emerged as an innovative educational strategy with the potential to significantly enhance the quality and effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training. Despite their promise, there remains a degree of controversy when comparing the advantages of serious games with traditional CPR training methods. This study seeks to provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of serious games on CPR training and education by systematically analyzing the results of previous research...

BACKGROUND: Knowledge construction in the context of children's science education is an important part of fostering the development of early scientific literacy. Nevertheless, children sometimes struggle to comprehend scientific knowledge due to the presence of abstract notions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of augmented reality (AR) games as a teaching tool for enhancing children's understanding of optical science education. METHODS: A total of 36 healthy Chinese children aged 6-8 years were included in this study...

This research letter presents the co-design process for RG4Face, a mime therapy-based serious game that uses computer vision for human facial movement recognition and estimation to help health care professionals and patients in the facial rehabilitation process.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) and game-based methods such as serious games or gamification are both emerging technologies and methodologies in health care. The merging of the two could provide greater advantages, particularly in the field of therapeutic interventions in medicine. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review sought to generate an overview of the currently existing literature on the connection of AI and game-based approaches in health care. The primary objectives were to cluster studies by disease and health topic addressed, level of care, and AI or games technology...

BACKGROUND: Since the early 2000s, there has been a growing interest in using exercise video games (exergames) and virtual reality (VR)-based interventions as innovative methods to enhance physical rehabilitation for individuals with multiple disabilities. Over the past decade, researchers and exercise professionals have focused on developing specialized immersive exercise video games for various populations, including those who have experienced a stroke, revealing tangible benefits for upper limb rehabilitation...

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the mental health of health care workers, increasing the rates of stress, moral distress (MD), and moral injury (MI). Virtual reality (VR) is a useful tool for studying MD and MI because it can effectively elicit psychophysiological responses, is customizable, and permits the controlled study of participants in real time. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the feasibility of using an intervention comprising a VR scenario and an educational video to examine MD among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to use our mobile app for longitudinal monitoring of stress, MD, and MI after the intervention...

BACKGROUND: New interventions based on motor learning principles and neural plasticity have been tested among patients with ataxia and hemiparesis. Therapies of pedaling exercises have also shown their potential to induce improvements in muscle activity, strength, and balance. Virtual reality (VR) has been demonstrated as an effective tool for improving the adherence to physical therapy, but it is still undetermined if it promotes greater improvements than conventional therapy. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare the effect on lower limb range of motion (ROM) when using VR technology for cycling exercise versus not using VR technology...

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BACKGROUND: Chronic disease self-management is a public health issue of worldwide concern, and gamification is an emerging strategy to improve patients' participation in chronic disease self-management. Some studies have summarized designs for the gamification of chronic disease self-management from the perspective of eHealth technology, but they have not mentioned differences in design methods, functions, and evaluation methods of gamified designs for self-management in different chronic diseases...

BACKGROUND: Children with chronic ankle instability (CAI) frequently experience ankle unsteadiness, causing trips, falls, and ankle sprain injuries resulting in poor quality of life. A specific exercise program focused on physical and psychological purposes in children with CAI is needed. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a 4-week home-based exercise training program using active video games (AVGs) for balance, motor proficiency, foot and ankle ability, and intrinsic motivation in children with CAI...

BACKGROUND: Virtual reality (VR) adventure games can offer ideal technological solutions for training social skills in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), leveraging their support for multisensory and multiplayer interactions over distance, which may lower barriers to training access and increase user motivation. However, the design of VR-based game environments for social skills training is still understudied and deserves the deployment of an inclusive design approach to ensure its acceptability by target users...

BACKGROUND: In the context of training specialist nurses and nursing education, a game-based mobile app was used as a simulation to teach intensive critical care specialist nurses the knowledge and skills of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) pipeline preflushing. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a game-based mobile app on improving ECMO pipeline preflushing skills in intensive critical care specialist nurses. METHODS: A total of 86 intensive critical care specialist nurses who were learning ECMO for the first time were included in this study...

BACKGROUND: Stroke management in rural areas is more variable and there is less access to reperfusion therapies, when compared with metropolitan areas. Delays in treatment contribute to worse patient outcomes. To improve stroke management in rural areas, health districts are implementing telestroke networks. The New South Wales Telestroke Service provides neurologist-led telehealth to 23 rural spoke hospitals aiming to improve treatment delivery and patient outcomes. The training of clinical staff was identified as a critical aspect for the successful implementation of this service...

BACKGROUND: Positive self-esteem predicts happiness and well-being and serves as a protective factor for favorable mental health. Scholarly gaming within the school setting may serve as a channel to deliver a mental health curriculum designed to improve self-esteem. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the impact of a scholarly gaming curriculum with and without an embedded preventive mental health curriculum, Mental Health Moments (MHM), on adolescents' self-esteem...

BACKGROUND: As cancer treatment methods have diversified and the importance of self-management, which lowers the dependence rate on direct hospital visits, has increased, effective cancer care education and management for health professionals and patients have become necessary. The metaverse is in the spotlight as a means of digital health that allows users to engage in cancer care education and management beyond physical constraints. However, it is difficult to find a multipurpose medical metaverse that can not only be used in the field but also complements current cancer care...