A review of gamification for health-related contexts

Abstract

Gamification is an approach which seeks to positively impact diverse wellness and health-related contexts, not only because it can get people more engaged and make them more responsible for their health-related decisions, but also because it can enhance the performance of healthcare workers. It, therefore, affects both the costs of personal wellness and the healthcare. Gamification is an informal umbrella term for the use of video game elements in non-gaming systems that aim to improve user experience and user engagement. The current paper's focus is to introduce theoretical aspects of gamification and its potential impact on health-related contexts, as well as present the state-of-the-art on how gamification is being employed in such contexts. Examples from contexts such as exercise, nutrition, weight control, medication adherence, and hands' hygiene, among others, are included. Finally, the challenges inherent to the design of successful gamification strategies and approaches are discussed. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.