In the past couple of years, there has been an increase of game device use for areas other than actual gaming. The newest area of use is for physical health. Medical researchers and physical therapists are finding that using virtual reality games are very helpful in terms of treatment and rehabilitation for stroke patients. The…
As the delivery of health care becomes more digitized, it’s no surprise that medical devices that historically had no electronic components are now available with digital capabilities. An attachment to an inhaler, for example, brings the ability to track doses. But the challenge for any medication continues to be getting patients, particularly children, to use these products when they’re supposed to and just as they’re prescribed. One medical device developer is overcoming that problem by bringing games into the delivery of health care.
Anyone with a sweet tooth knows exactly how difficult it is to resist unhealthy foods that taste great. Countless diet programs have been established over the years to try to train people to choose healthier foods and avoid empty calories that pack on the pounds. However, the secret ingredient diet plans may be missing is game based training that has shown promising real-world results that lead to additional weight loss.
It’s hard to go a day without hearing news about the rising cost of health care. Prescription drugs are getting more expensive and health insurance rates are on an annual march upward. By and large, patients have little understanding about the financial pressures that are behind those costs. One company is taking a new approach to try to improve the public’s understanding of health care costs. Astellas Pharmaceuticals has turned the delicate balance of cost management into a game called My Health, My Choice.
A game called EteRNA is being used to further research into how RNA folds itself into particular shapes. The game is a way of crowdsourcing the modeling to free biomedical scientists to use the shapes for their research.
Alzheimer’s is an incredibly terrifying disease that has a detrimental impact on both the patient and his or her family. Although there is little comfort and no cure for Alzheimer’s symptoms as of yet, leaning about the disease may help alleviate the stress that comes along with a loved one going through the horrific reality of being diagnosed with the condition.
Gamification is about to get… “Physical, physical!” Ok, it may not be getting Olivia Newton-John physical, but one gamification startup will help you get sweaty enough to keep that New Year’s resolution and shed a few pounds by scoring points in the world of Virtual Reality (VR), that is the Virtual Reality world of Fitness.
When Microsoft introduced its Kinect motion-sensing camera, the technology brought a new element to console gaming. Kinect tracks and captures a player’s movements, then translates them into the play of a game. Now a large pharmaceutical company is partnering with Microsoft to apply that technology for a therapeutic purpose. In a new application of games in health care, Novartis is betting that the Kinect technology can be used to track the progress of multiple sclerosis, and in turn, play a role in developing new treatments for the disease.
There are two schools of thought on the best way to help regain the muscle movement and dexterity lost by those who suffer a stroke. Some people believe that patients should not move at all unless in the presence of a physical therapist, according to David Putrino, director of telemedicine and virtual rehabilitation at the Burke Medical Research Institute. But the other, diametrically opposite view, holds that a stroke patient should move as much as possible. Putrino subscribes to the latter view and he found medical evidence to support that position. Dabbling with games in health care, he developed a video game with applications in physical therapy for stroke patients.
ADHD is one of those medical issues that come into the limelight more often than not for those diagnosed with the condition being over medicated, or receiving false diagnosis. ADHD is however a true problem for all ages of people, and in most cases it is both hard to treat as well as diagnose. Games in health are improving the experiences of consumers, and developers at CogCubed are working for those that suffer from ADHD.
Two studies are taking a fresh look at an old standby of medical education and game based learning: simulators. With growing focus on optimizing education and skill in medical practitioners, tools and curriculum for their training are being given another look.
Health care experts warn that child obesity rates are rising to alarming levels. With the increase in obesity-related medical conditions, such as diabetes, it’s no wonder that parents and health professionals alike are looking for ways to keep children healthy. A good diet is one part of the equation. But an equally important part of child health is physical activity. Gamification startup HopeLab developed a technological way to keep kids on the move while tracking this activity at the same time. The company’s gamification software is called Zamzee.
Use of games in healthcare has become a focus among startup companies, largely concentrating on combining self-monitoring with games. The question remains if these new gamification products can lead to sustainable modification in healthcare behavior, especially among those who need it most. Gamification developers want to focus on the self-management of chronic conditions. Healthcare providers want to offer games to their clients, but privacy restrictions have added some legal an ethical wrinkles in the area of health care gaming design. Privacy restrictions are making it difficult to design healthcare feedback competitive gaming designs for those who would most benefit from them.
It’s not an easy road towards achieving wellness for working adults. With day-to-day obligations and distractions, health is an afterthought for many. Strategies to create incentives and tracking methods are widely discussed but rarely implemented. However, gamification may change the way people view improving their health.
The smart people at OhMiBod may have ushered in a serious game revolution with the release of their new wearable device, Lovelife Krush. “It’s the gamification of sexual health,” declared OhMiBod’s co-founder, Brian Dunham, to CNBC’s Chris Morris as they discussed his product fetching one of Engadget’s top honors at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This top honor certainly helps OhMiBod efforts to launch their new device into a Sexual Wellness market currently worth $16 Billion and forecasted, by research firm Technavio, to reach $21 Billion by 2019.
