Video Games & Mobile Apps for Health and Healthcare

Aaron Gray, M.D.Depts of Family Medicine & OrthopaedicsUniversity of Missouri

Overview Why Games for Health? Benefits of Video Games Gamification Mobile Apps/Games Microsoft Kinect

Yearly conference that brings together those in video game industry with those in medicine and academics

RWJF Support Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s

Pioneer portfolio has given $9 million for Games for Health exploration

“Pioneer saw games as a promising but unconventional area for exploration, with the potential to lower costs of patient care and drive significant improvements in people’s health and health care.”

Excellent database that looks at effectiveness of interactive games for health

Also provides grant funding for projects

How Games can be used for Health (from Archimage.com) Change player’s health behavior

Getting a child to eat more fruits and vegetables

Change player’s health attitude about a health topic Being physically activity isn’t as hard as it

seems Increase player’s knowledge about a health

topic Nutrition

How Games can be used for Health (from Archimage.com) Help player make a difficult health

decision Choosing a cancer treatment option

Engage player to make an otherwise boring topic fun

Wait, I thought video games only made kids fat?

Benefits of Video Games Increased creativity in kids with regards

to drawing pictures and writing stories than those who didn’t play video games.

Improved treatment adherence and indicators of self-efficacy in adolescents undergoing cancer therapy using a video game intervention

Jackson et al. Computers in Human Behavior, 2011.

Kato, et al. Pediatrics, 2008.

Parents should play too!

Girls who played video games with their parents had decreased levels of internalizing and aggressive behaviors and heightened prosocial behavior

Video Games for Health Many different types of games for many

different populations

“It made it a lot more fun,” said Gladys Moore, 89, while cyber-racing through the streets of “Palm Beach”

Re-Mission (by HopeLab)

Re-Mission (by HopeLab)

Gamification “is the integration of game mechanics

or game dynamics in order to drive participation and engagement”

Examples?

Games that aren’t games

Zamzee – What is it?A digital accelerometer connected to a website with virtual awards, badges, and real rewards.

Measures and encourages physical activity in children

Zamzee – Does it work? 448 middle school kids from across the

country in study with half using Zamzee Intervention group - 59% increase (45

min. per week) in moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA)

102% increase in MVPA in girls

Rewards and Levels on Zamzee

Mobile Apps for Health

Smartphones are everywhere! February 2012 only 12% of Americans

reported have no cell phone 62% of 25-34 year olds own

smartphones Half of mobile phones in the US are

smartphones Around 100 million people have

smartphones in United States

Smartphones = Multiple sensors disguised as a phone GPS Accelerometer Compass Gyroscope

Combined Mobile Apps & Websites Many successful health and fitness

products combine mobile apps and more detailed websites

Social networking and support groups can provide great help for patients trying to reach goals

Let’s look at some apps…

Want to eat healthy and stay active? There are MANY, MANY apps for that!

Let’s try to make running a little more fun!

Zombies can get anyone to run

Zombies not your thing…

 Picasso in France in 1971. Photograph: Ralph Gatti

YOU are the Pencil

Superbetter Web and mobile based “game” to

empower users to battle anxiety, depression, insomnia, overeating, lack of exercising, etc.

Developed by Jane McGonigal

The Origins of Superbetter

Microsoft Kinect - You are the controller

Microsoft Kinect Motion Sensor Device

Nike+ Kinect

Kinect Skeletal Tracking Demo

Possibilities of Kinect Home physical therapy Balance testing and training Injury prevention

Endless …

Microsoft Application Development Lab at RJIPartnership with Microsoft and Univ. of Missouri to promote app development

Full time lead developer and lab manager

Great location for partnerships of different schools/departments on campus to develop innovative solutions

@MizzouSportsDoc