SERIOUS GAMING IN SERIOUS ILLNESS

Teresa Hagan Thomas

When Teresa Hagan Thomas’ mother was diagnosed with cancer, Thomas saw firsthand the importance of her own research. Even though her mom was a self-sufficient woman, had already been a cancer caregiver twice, and had a daughter who is an expert in health care self-advocacy, she struggled to manage her own cancer journey. 

Even when patients come into a diagnosis as strong communicators who know how to take care of others, who can research information and take care of their own health—some of that dissipates with a personal diagnosis. The symptoms and side effects affect one’s ability to make decisions, manage treatment and focus on quality of life. 

“If that was the case for my mom, what happens to patients who are not trusting of the health care system, don’t have a good relationship with the oncology team or don’t have the needed resources or education?” asks Thomas, associate professor of health promotion and development in the School of Nursing.

With a $1.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, Thomas and colleagues are developing and testing an interactive video game to help women with breast cancer develop skills to advocate for themselves and better navigate the cancer journey. The program shows users characters with cancer through different challenges and decisions with the goal of keeping the characters healthy and strong. Clinicians can use the output for patient-centered education and shared decision-making. 

The team is collecting broad evidence on which elements of “serious gaming” are most effective. Their findings will help researchers optimize gamified interventions in other patient populations.