A geriatric game to strengthen older adult healthcare delivery and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Serious games enhance learner engagement and knowledge, yet few medical education games target older adults' healthcare. Addressing this gap, we developed Geri-POP (Geriatrics Population Health), focusing on the Age-Friendly Health System (AFHS) framework and Geriatric 4Ms.

METHODS: Geri-POP, a healthcare game is aimed at educating health profession learners about the AFHS framework. Geri-POP employs plan-do-study-act cycles of rapid improvement to apply AFHS principles and explore evidence-based geriatric practices within the game environment while garnering points for insight, trust and outcomes. Faculty and medical students were surveyed for feedback on an alpha version of Geri-POP.

RESULTS: Players manage patient panels across three age groups (65-74, 75-84, and 85 years and older) while engaging in plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles, applying Geriatric 4Ms (What Matters, Medications, Mentation, and Mobility), and refining strategies based on resource utilization, health outcomes, and real-time feedback. Alpha testing of the game received mixed perceptions on graphics, with faculty endorsing the game for training and integration into the curriculum, while students prioritize academic commitments. Suggestions include enhancing graphics and refining dialogue for a more professional tone.

CONCLUSIONS: Geri-POP demonstrates the potential of gamifying older adult population health and quality improvement around AFHS. Feedback on a prototype game revealed different attitudes between faculty and students, thus emphasizing the importance of game development as an iterative process that accounts for educator and learner-centric needs. A future consideration is whether the game informs user's clinical practices and changes healthcare outcomes for older adults.