Melanie Stegman, PhD, a developer of video games designed to teach molecular cell biology, has evaluated the third-person-shooter game, Immune Attack, and used the data to design the strategy game, Immune Defense. These games were not specifically designed to be used by people with rheumatic conditions, although Dr. Stegman says they would likely benefit such patients, helping them better understand some of the biology behind their illness.
Her evaluation, in which study subjects played Immune Defense and controls played a different game, found that those who had played her game performed better on a test of cell biology and exhibited greater confidence in their knowledge of cell function.6
Overcoming Objections
Dr. Stegman
Dr. Stegman says she is aware of the hesitation many physicians have in using games as part of their care.
“There are many reasons why there are naysayers,” she says. “One of them is the idea of a game just makes you think of a kid in a basement shooting people.”
The road to greater acceptance is clear, she says. “I definitely think we need more rigorous evidence that games can teach, and we have provided that,” she says. “Now we are working to make our game more popular with game players aged 12 and older.”
Dr. Lieberman says it would be a good idea to make more rheumatology video games.
She says, “Rheumatology is a complex area—there are so many diseases and healthcare challenges related to prevention, diagnosis, delivery of care, patient education and patient adherence to treatment plan.
“It would be exciting to see rheumatology games that give the general public an overview of rheumatic diseases and how they affect the body, that aid and, in some cases even train, clinicians in this field, that deliver supplemental physical therapy and rehabilitation, and that immerse patients in game-based experiences that boost their knowledge and abilities, and also motivate and improve their self-care.”
Nintendo has plans to release next year its first quality-of-life device that will keep track of fatigue by monitoring sleep.
Age, Dr. Lieberman says, is no longer a major barrier when it comes to playing video games. She and her team conducted two nationwide representative sample surveys on video game use in the U.S. in 2010 and 2013, and found that a majority of people in every age group ranging from ages 1–93 played video games. In all, 77% of the U.S. population played video games in 2013, up from 68% in 2010.
