Gear up and battle the proliferative forces of Neoplasms!

Video games are the future of patient education and therapy. Health based games and media that are built around a specific disease gives its patient population a sense of control, distraction, therapy and education about their disease. Most importantly, the games are fun! Games are interactive and offer patients a way to approach the reality of their sickness from a less threatening avenue. One example is HopeLab’s game Re-Mission 2, designed for kids battling cancer. Players are miniaturized and fight cancer on the cellular level using weapons such as chemotherapy and and immune cells all the while learning about the disease process itself and treatment. Games with a similar focus are Zombies, Run! which uses the steps in the game’s pedometer to obtain items and MiraRehab for physical therapy. The increasing use of smart phones, tablets and Bluetooth devices will allow patients to receive the educational, therapeutic and merry-making benefits of these games wherever they go.

Mayrsohn, B. (2014, August 24). Games for Health | Can online and mobile games improve patient outcomes? Retrieved October 1, 2015, from                 http://www.himss.org/ResourceLibrary/CommunityUpdate.aspx?ItemNumber=32554