[MA 2024 09] Serious Fun: Improving Digital Health Literacy
eHealth Living & Learning Lab Amsterdam, Department of Medical Informatics, AMC
Proposed by: Dr. Marloes Derksen [m.e.derksen@amsterdamumc.nl]
Introduction
Healthcare is undergoing rapid digitization, but is everyone keeping pace? Digital healthcare necessitates a new set of skills known as digital health literacy (DHL) (1). These skills encompass searching for, selecting, evaluating, and utilizing online health information and digital health applications (2). Similar to health literacy, DHL levels are lower among certain groups, such as those with low socioeconomic status, ethnic minorities, and older adults (3-6). Since DHL are considered as skills, these skills are expected to be able to train. The main aim of serious health games is improving health (7), rather than merely entertaining (8). Serious games (i.e., including serious health games) universally consist of game elements, of which many are similar to learning mechanisms or behaviour change techniques found in traditional behaviour change interventions(9,10). Previous reviews indicated that serious health games had minor positive impacts on health-related behaviours and their determinants (e.g., awareness)(11, 12).
This research aims to gain insight into improving and DHL using serious games.
Description of the SRP Project/Problem
This study will take a user-centered design approach, ensuring that end-users are engaged in every phase of the design process (13):
- Understanding the context of use; and specifying user requirements through literature research on serious games to address digital health literacy assessment tools and qualitative interviews with end-users (n=10) (for recruitment the Digital Health Literacy Panel of the eHealth Living & Learning Lab Amsterdam will be contacted).
- Creating design solutions with end-users (n=10)
- Evaluating the usability of the solution through means of a Think Aloud usability test combined with qualitative interviews with end-users (n=5) and a Heuristic Evaluation with UX-design experts (n=3).
- Implementation of recommendations to improve user experience of the developed DHL serious game based on usability evaluation findings.
Research questions
1. What serious health games currently exist on digital literacy / health literacy / digital health literacy?
2. How can a serious health game increase DHL be developed taking a user-centered design?
3. What is the usability of the serious health game? E.g.,
- The completeness and accuracy with which the user achieve certain goals (effectiveness, ISO 9241-110).
- How much effort (efficiency) it costs the user to achieve these goals (ISO 9241-110).
- How free of disturbances, and how positive the user is towards the client portal (satisfaction, ISO 9241-11).
Expected results
- Novel insights into serious games to address digital health literacy;
- Newly developed digital health literacy serious game with optimized usability. Expected stage of maturity: prototype (14).
Time period
November – June
May – November
Both time periods are possible.
Allowance
Subject to the approval of a grant application, a modest internship allowance is available.
Contact
Dr. Marloes Derksen, eHealth Living & Learning Lab Amsterdam, Department of Medical Informatics, AMC
m.e.derksen@amsterdamumc.nl
References
1. Van Der Vaart, R., & Drossaert, C. (2017). Development of the digital health literacy instrument: measuring a broad spectrum of health 1.0 and health 2.0 skills.?Journal of medical Internet research,?19(1), e27.
2. TNS Political and Social. Flash Eurobarometer 404 European Citizens' Digital Health Literacy. Brussels, Belgium: European Union; 2014.
3. Neter, E., & Brainin, E. (2012). eHealth literacy: extending the digital divide to the realm of health information.?Journal of medical Internet research,?14(1), e19.
4. Kontos, E., Blake, K. D., Chou, W. Y. S., & Prestin, A. (2014). Predictors of eHealth usage: insights on the digital divide from the Health Information National Trends Survey 2012.?Journal of medical Internet research,?16(7), e172.
5. Gordon, N. P., & Hornbrook, M. C. (2016). Differences in access to and preferences for using patient portals and other eHealth technologies based on race, ethnicity, and age: a database and survey study of seniors in a large health plan.?Journal of medical Internet research,?18(3), e50.
6. Guo, Z., Zhao, S. Z., Guo, N., Wu, Y., Weng, X., Wong, J. Y. H., ... & Wang, M. P. (2021). Socioeconomic disparities in eHealth literacy and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong: cross-sectional study. Journal of medical Internet research, 23(4), e24577.
7. Laamarti F, Eid M, El Saddik A. An overview of serious games. Int J Comput Games Technol. 2014;2014.
8. Michael DR, Chen SL. Serious games: Games that educate, train, and inform: New York, NY: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade; 2005.
9. Arnab S, Lim T, Carvalho MB, Bellotti F, De Freitas S, Louchart S, et al. Mapping learning and game mechanics for serious games analysis. Br J Educ Technol. 2015;46(2):391-411.
10. Michie S, Hyder N, Walia A, West R. Development of a taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in individual behavioural support for smoking cessation. Addic Behav. 2011;36(4):315-9.
11. DeSmet A, Van Ryckeghem D, Compernolle S, et al. A meta-analysis of serious digital games for healthy lifestyle promotion. Prev Med. 2014;69:95–107.
12. Derksen ME, van Strijp S, Kunst AE, Daams JG, Jaspers MWM, Fransen MP. Serious games for smoking prevention and cessation: A systematic review of game elements and game effects. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2020;27(5):818-33.
13. Holtzblatt K, Wendell JB, & Wood S. (2004).?Rapid contextual design: a how-to guide to key techniques for user-centered design. Elsevier: San Francisco.
14.World Health Organization. (2016). Monitoring and evaluating digital health interventions: a practical guide to conducting research and assessment. Retrieved on July 19, 2024 from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241511766