Serious Game on a Smartphone for Adolescents Undergoing Hemodialysis: Development and Evaluation

Abstract

Background Adolescents with chronic kidney disease have a hard time adhering to hemodialysis as a therapy, indicating a need to establish new alternatives for motivation and adherence to treatment. Objective The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a serious game to stimulate and motivate adolescents undergoing hemodialysis. Methods We describe the technological production followed by a qualitative analysis. We invited 8 adolescents undergoing hemodialysis in the city Goiânia, located in the midwest of Brazil, to participate. The final convenience sample included 7 (87.5% of the target population) adolescents. The process was conducted in 3 phases: creation of a serious game, evaluation of its use, and observation of its motivating effect on behavioral modification with a focus on acquiring the necessary competence for self-care. Results An app (Bim) in the modality of a serious game was developed to be used during hemodialysis; the player was encouraged to take care of a character with daily actions during his or her treatment. The game was made available to adolescents aged 10-14 years. Mobile devices were offered during the hemodialysis treatment for a period of 30-40 minutes, 3 times a week for 60 days. The usage definitions of the game were freely chosen by the participants. The qualitative evaluation of the use of the Bim app showed that it encompasses scenarios and activities that enable the exercise of daily actions for the treatment of patients. The behavioral evaluation showed that the Bim app worked as a motivating stimulus for behavioral adherence to hemodialysis requirements. Conclusions The easy-to-access app interface showed good operability for its users. The description of the character and proposed activities contributed to motivation and ability to cope with hemodialysis care.

The Impact of Virtual Reality (VR) Gaming and Casual/Social Gaming on the Quality of Life, Depression, and Dialysis Tolerance in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Narrative Review

“…Patients undergoing hemodialysis must go to dialysis clinics three times a week, spending four hours per session [ 28 ]. When surveyed, monotony was reportedly the primary complaint among hemodialysis patients [ 32 ], highlighting a need for new strategies to boost motivation and treatment compliance [ 38 ].…”

Developing a Questionnaire for Mobile Phone Usage Pattern Among University Students Using the Delphi Method

“…In addition to the many benefits of using a mobile phone, misusing it can have consequences. Side effects of misuse include insomnia, addiction, fatigue, anxiety, distress, stress, lack of concentration, physical and mental illness, reduced family relationships and accidents [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. Therefore, due to the complications among mobile phone users, and especially students and the lack of awareness of the factors that cause it, the study was designed to examine the pattern of mobile phone users in the community of students in Iran.…”

Renal Ped: protótipo de serious game para criança em diálise peritoneal

“…Além dos profissionais de saúde, o serious game tem potencial de se estender à rede de apoio à qual a tecnologia está direcionada. Santana et al (2020) Além disso, como formato, os autores utilizaram-se de quiz multiplayer para promover o aprendizado (BENÍTEZ; PASCUAL; SANZ, 2017). Assim, como os autores supracitados, este estudo preocupou-se em compreender e aplicar estratégias para o desenvolvimento do serious game que fossem condizentes com as necessidades e que potencializassem o seu uso pelo usuário; diferindo, entretanto, na oferta de um jogo que oportuniza a aprendizagem através de diversas estratégias, além de quizzes.…”

“…A colaboração entre profissionais para o desenvolvimento desta tecnologia potencializa a sua criação e torna o processo criativo mais efetivo. A junção de profissionais da área da saúde, educação, tecnologia, design permite a troca de experiências e o enriquecimento do produto a ser construído (JOHNSEN et al, 2018;SANTANA et al, 2020;CARVALHO, 2021).…”