Serious games in health care: a survey

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: to present an overview of existing serious games in healthcare designed for patients, and the evaluation of their effects. Such games, aiming to help patients better understand their condition or treatment, to foster healthy behaviors, or even to participate in therapies, are expected to grow in parallel with the importance of the videogaming industry. METHODS: references were searched in Medline and through recursive browsing of their citations. RESULTS: 21 papers were identified and analyzed. Serious games are used to increase knowledge and control, foster preventive behaviors, or can be used in therapies. Their positive effects on improved patient understanding, adherence, and engagement, although documented mostly in preliminary studies, calls for the development and more thorough evaluation of these tools.