Games for healthcare

The University Medical Centre in Groningen in the North of The Netherlands, in co-operation with the Homecare organisation and a mental healthcare organisation, has developed a game in order to upgrade the health care workers. The Sims-like game GIDZ, Gaming in Healthcare care workers are trained in handling dementia, preventing aggression and applying legal aspects. The online game has been introduced to make learning more attractive. It is a new way of transferring knowledge. The old methods are still need, but the game is an incentive to go back to the books.









In the simulation game a player can start role playing or answering a quiz. In the role playing game the player is sent to an aggressive old lady with dementia. The player is offered several options in the menu, by selecting an option; he/she will see the consequences of the choice and learn how to handle the situation. The library is an important tool that can be addressed both from within the game as well as separately, containing up-to-date and easily accessible information on the topics covered by GIDZ. Next, it is possible to interact with people by sending your question to someone who knows more on a particular topic, by chatting with other players in the chat room, or by leaving a message on the forum. Finally, GIDZ has a report function that tells you which topics you are good at and which topics require some more attention.

Presently the game will also be used for health care workers, but in later instance it will also be used in the education of health care workers, as the game enables them to practice and to prepare for similar situations in the future.

The advantages of the game are:
- Personal. GIDZ provides question-based learning in the employee's own pace. He or she can play GIDZ at home at any time of the day.
- Effective. The simulation games are based on real life healthcare situations, teaching the employee what he or she needs to know for their job.
- Efficient. Learning in GIDZ takes less time than using traditional learning methods, providing access to relevant material in seconds.
- Up-to-date. Always the most recent courses and learning material.
- Easy. Using GIDZ is easier and more fun than working through heaps of texts. GIDZ requires only basic knowledge on computer use.
- Theory. An important aid in learning is the GIDZ library that can be addressed both from within the game as well as separately, containing up-to-date and easily accessible information on the topics covered by GIDZ. It is also possible to interact with people by sending your question to someone who knows more on a particular topic, by chatting with other players in the chat room, or by leaving a message on the forum.
- Cost-efficient. GIDZ saves on travel costs, as employees do not have to travel to undergo training. Hiring teachers or locations is not necessary anymore.
- Registration. GIDZ uses a registration system to store information on each player. The performance of each player can be tracked through this system.
- Computer use. Gaming stimulates the use ICT in healthcare organizations, making employees feel more comfortable using the computer.

The game has been developed for 257.000 euro, amongst other with a grant of the province of Groningen and the European fund for regional development.

Serious gaming has become a special branch in the Dutch gaming industry. And healthcare is one of the sections. GIDZ is one of the games. But there is for example also a game for respiratory testing for children under development. This game is controlled with breathing equipment. Eventually this game should assist the lung consultant in hospital with the rather harsh lung function test.

Blog Posting Number: 733

Tags: serious games; health care