This document discusses the potential for video games to be used as a serious health technology. It notes that while video games have received criticism for negative health impacts, they may help with rehabilitation and independent living for older adults. Specifically, video games are discussed as a way to address falls, stroke recovery, and cognitive decline. Building an industry around games for health in Australia is also mentioned.

1. Videogames
a “serious” health
technology
Stuart Smith
Monday, 11 July 2011

2. Background
Games for fall prevention
Games for stroke rehabilitation
Building an Australian Serious
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Games for Health industry
Monday, 11 July 2011

3. But before all of that......
Video games have often received
bad press with respect to health
increased aggression and violence
addiction to gameplay
increased sedentary behaviour
epileptic seizures
Wii knee, haemothorax and ruptured tendons
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4. However..... games can be seriously considered
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5. Exergames for neuroplasticity
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6. spinal cord rehabilitation
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7. Ethnography
Cognitive
Social
Falls
Technology Platform
Technology Research for Independent Living
Develop technology for in-home monitoring of factors associated
with falls, cognitive function and social connectivity in older adults
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8. Use of technology for monitoring health and
promoting independent living in older adults.
Regional, rural and remote areas
Australian
TRIL
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9. Can existing technology
facilitate independent living in
older adults?
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10. Television most familiar of all.
Everyday objects are digital
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11. Can we use the television to facilitate
independent living?
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12. Here’s a significant health issue
Falls are a major factor
for reduced independence
in older adults
1/3 community dwelling
older adults fall each year
Total health cost to NSW
!"#$%&'()#&'#$*&)$+,-.$,/$
0*11-$%&2345$67,&8$91)#4$:#,;1#$
$
$
alone in 2006/2007 $553M
(&$<#=$>,3."$?*1#-$@AABCADE
$18,454 per hospital admission
!"#$%&'("(&")*+",$-.(/
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13. exercise programs that differ greatly in their aims a
Health and School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia;
We know fall risk can be
w
Falls and Balance Research Group, Prince of Wales Medical Research tent. Meta-analysis should therefore involvein the
Interventions for preventing falls in older people living explor
Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; §Clinical Age community (Review)
whether these factors ‘‘explain’’ (are associated w
reduced by exercise
Research Unit, Kings College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; and
k
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Gillespie
the effect of exercise Gates S, Cumming 7,8
mates ofLD, Robertson MC, Gillespie WJ, Lamb SE, programs.RG, Rowe BH
Australia. A Cochrane review of fall prevention strategi
Address correspondence to Dr. Catherine Sherrington, The George Institute ducted separate meta-analyses on different forms
for International Health, PO Box M201, Missenden Road, Sydney NSW cise and concluded that some exercise programs can
2050, Australia. E-mail: csherrington@george.org.au of Falls: A Systematic Review
Effective Exercise for the Prevention falls in community dwellers (e.g., home exercise pro
and Meta-Analysis
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.02014.x balance and strength training, a Tai Chi group progr
Catherine Sherrington, PhD,Ã wz Julie C. Whitney, MSc,§ Stephen R. Lord, DSc,w
Robert D. Herbert, PhD,Ã Robert G. Cumming, PhD, z and Jacqueline C. T. Close, MDw k
JAGS 56:2234–2243, 2008
r 2008, Copyright the Authors
Journal compilation r 2008, The American Geriatrics Society 0002-8614
OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of exercise on falls Key words: falls; exercise; meta-analysis
prevention in older people and establish whether particular
trial characteristics or components of exercise programs are
associated with larger reductions in falls.
High dosage of exercise is required (eg > 50 hrs or twice/week for 25 weeks).
DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Random-
ized controlled trials that compared fall rates in older peo- This is a reprint of a Cochrane review, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration and published in The Cochrane Library
ple who undertook exercise programs with fall rates in 2009, Issue 4
those who did not exercise were included.
SETTING: Older people. T he development and implementation of effective and
cost-efficient strategies to prevent falls in older people
is an urgent global health challenge. In developed countries,
http://www.thecochranelibrary.com
PARTICIPANTS: General community and residential care.
Video games might offer a way to ensure
life expectancy for people aged 65 years old is approxi-
MEASUREMENTS: Fall rates. mately 17 years for men and 21 years for women. At least
RESULTS: The pooled estimate of the effect of exercise one-third of people aged 65 and older fall at least once
compliance with exercise
was that it reduced the rate of falling by 17% (44 trials with annually,1 and falls account for more than half of the injury-
9,603 participants, rate ratio (RR) 5 0.83, 95% confidence related hospitalizations for older people.2 Fall rates in the
interval (CI) 5 0.75–0.91, Po.001, I2 5 62%). The great-
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est relative effects
general older population are reported Interventions1.2The Cochrane Collaboration. Publishedthe community & Sons, Ltd.
3
to be for preventing falls in older people living in by John Wiley (Review)
Copyright © 2009
falls per
person year.
CI 5 0.48–0.69, 68% of between-study variability ex-
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14. Will older adults play video games?
Brand (2009) “Interactive Australia 2009”
National survey of 1614 households
1034 individuals aged 36-50, 58% play video games
912 aged 51-65 52% play video games
221 aged 65+, 51% play video games
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15. like Dance Dance Revolution
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16. Dance Dance Revolution to
reduce fall risk and increase
physical activity
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17. Use DDR to measure Mrs Smith, it looks like you have
fall risk over time been a bit unsteady on your feet
lately. Is there anything we can
do for you?
Fall risk
Provide health
information feedback to
older person and their
Date
support network
Videogames as a
telehealth technology
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18. Where to from here?
Instructor
during quiet stance is
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detect outliers and
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as found, pairwise
ed using the July 2011
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19. Video Games for Independent
Living: An NBN Technology
Older adults/ people with
DDR
health issuesCognitive
Physical
ViGIL:ANT
Social
strategy, memory logic
games
Videogame designers/
developers/publishers
casual, online games
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20. A recent example
Upper limb function following
stroke is a major barrier to
independence
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21. How do we build a Games for Health industry?
WTF? blah blah
blah
Game
Health
developers
researchers
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22. Market size
The number of people in NSW alone aged 65
and older is estimated to be just over 931,000
Every year more than 60,000
Australians have a stroke,
The cost of strokes to the Australian economy
is in excess of $2 billion per annum
Distribution? Revenue model?
Certification?
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23. Thank you
for hanging
on till the
s.smith@neura.edu.au bitter end.
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