Video games are among the most popular entertainment media in the world.
Now, groundbreaking research shows that a specially designed video game can
promote positive behaviors in young cancer patients that enhance the
effectiveness of medical treatment. This research, sponsored by the nonprofit
organization HopeLab and published in the medical journal Pediatrics,
provides scientific evidence for a growing field of product development that
taps into the positive potential of video games and other popular technology
to improve human health.
"We have very effective treatments for cancer in adolescents, but they
only work if the patient takes them," said Steve Cole, Ph.D., vice president
of research at HopeLab and co-author of the article. "This study shows that a
strategically designed video game can be a powerful new tool to enhance the
impact of medical treatment by motivating healthy behavior in the patient."
The study evaluated the impact of playing Re-Mission(TM), a video game
developed by HopeLab specifically for teens and young adults with cancer, on
key behavioral and psychological factors associated with successful cancer
treatment. In Re-Mission, players pilot a microscopic robot named Roxxi as
she travels through the bodies of fictional cancer patients, blasting away
cancer cells and battling the side-effects of cancer and cancer treatments.
This study on Re-Mission is the largest randomized, controlled study of a
video game intervention ever conducted, following 375 teens and young adults
with cancer at 34 medical centers in the United States, Canada and Australia
during three months of cancer treatment.
In the study, participants who were given Re-Mission maintained higher
levels of chemotherapy in their blood (20%; p=.002) and took their
antibiotics more consistently (16%; p=.012) than those in the control group,
demonstrating the game's impact at a biological level. Participants given
Re-Mission also showed faster acquisition of cancer-related knowledge (230%;
p=.035) and faster increase in self-efficacy (370%; p=.011).
"We now know that games can induce positive changes in the way
individuals manage their health," said Dr. Cole. "The game not only motivates
positive health behavior; it also gives players a greater sense of power and
control over their disease -- in fact, that seems to be its key ingredient."
Analyses of study data suggest that patients' increased sense of control
over cancer (self-efficacy) was a major driver of the game's effect on
medical treatment utilization. To better understand how game play delivers
the outcomes highlighted in the Pediatrics article, HopeLab conducted a study
that utilizes functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to
analyze the brain regions that are activated when people play Re-Mission.
Data from this research will be presented in Tokyo at the 10th International
Congress of Behavioral Medicine August 27 - 30, 2008.
"The process to create and evaluate Re-Mission was highly collaborative,
often challenging, and an incredible learning experience," said Pam Omidyar,
HopeLab founder and board chair. "The publication of Re-Mission data
represents the fulfillment of HopeLab's founding vision -- that rationally
engineered technology can be a powerful tool to improve the health of young
people."
Other study authors include Pamela M. Kato, Ph.D., Ed.M.; Andrew S.
Bradlyn, Ph.D., and Brad H. Pollock, Ph.D., MPH. HopeLab is applying insights
gained from the development and study of Re-Mission to inform ongoing work in
cancer, as well as innovative approaches to address obesity and other chronic
diseases that impact young people.
To read the entire Pediatrics article, visit
here.
About the Re-Mission(TM) Video Game
Re-Mission combines biologic accuracy with an honest depiction of the
challenges faced by young cancer patients. Re-Mission's main character,
Roxxi, is a gutsy, fully-armed nanobot who seeks out and destroys cancer
cells throughout the human body, battling cancer and its life-threatening
effects. Through 20 different levels of game play, Re-Mission illustrates
what occurs inside the bodies of young cancer patients and how they can most
effectively fight their disease.
HopeLab has distributed more than 125,000 free copies of Re-Mission in 80
countries since its release in April 2006. Re-Mission is available to
download or order at re-mission. The game is available in English,
Spanish and French and is free of charge to young people with cancer, their
families and caregivers; a US$20 donation is suggested to others interested
in receiving a copy of the game. Re-Mission is also distributed through
partnerships with organizations that support HopeLab's commitment to provide
Re-Mission free of charge to young cancer patients, including CIGNA
HealthCare,
the ESA Foundation , and
Starlight Children's Foundation . Re-Mission is rated T (Teen) by the Entertainment
Software Ratings Board.
About HopeLab
HopeLab is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by Board Chair Pam
Omidyar. HopeLab combines rigorous research with innovative solutions to
improve the health and quality of life of young people living with chronic
illness. HopeLab applies a research-based, customer-focused development model
to create products that address chronic illnesses in young people, including
cancer, obesity, sickle cell disease, major depressive disorder and autism.
HopeLab