By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
    May 27, 2023
    4 Signs It’s Time to See a Therapist
    May 24, 2023
    11 Ways To Modernize Your Private Practice
    May 17, 2023
    Important Steps to Take for Scaling A Biopharma Product
    May 2, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Massachusetts Governor’s Race: Views on Healthcare
    September 9, 2014
    How Self-Determination Theory Can Improve Medical Students’ Motivation
    September 28, 2020
    Dying in America? Bureaucrats Care
    October 16, 2014
    Latest News
    MRI Sedation Options: What You Should Know Before Screening
    May 17, 2023
    What is the Process of Creating Medicine from Nature?
    May 2, 2023
    Choosing the Right Treatment Option for Varicose Veins
    May 2, 2023
    What Are Wrong-Site Surgeries and How Do They Occur?
    April 27, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Gamification and Government Health Care
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Gamification and Government Health Care
eHealthWellness

Gamification and Government Health Care

Matt Allen
Last updated: 2012/06/07 at 8:45 AM
Matt Allen
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE
 

Drew Brees talking about PALA+ and the ESA partnership (Photos courtesy of Revamp.com)

 

Drew Brees talking about PALA+ and the ESA partnership (Photos courtesy of Revamp.com)

More Read

relation between Trauma and Chronic Pain

Understanding the Relationship Between Trauma and Chronic Pain

The Best Natural Sleep Remedies & Aids
The Best Natural Ways to Boost Your Body Energy & Focus
Obese? 5 Reasons You Should Lose Weight (Some Are Surprising!)
How To Combat Poor Sleep Without Medication

I recently had the privilege of running into Secretary Sebelius at the launch party for PALA+ (Presidential Active Lifestyle Award). I truly did ‘run into her’, as I accidentally followed the wrong signs and walked into the VIP prep room where she was standing prior to her talk. In turns out that she is extremely personable, and extremely excited about what HHS is doing with games.

The launch event was in part to announce the new partnership between HHS and the ESA (Entertainment Software Association). As celebrity speaker Drew Brees highlighted, “The President’s Council and ESA recognize the need to embrace technology in the fight against childhood obesity… Through the Active Play PALA+ Challenge, we are motivating kids and families to adopt a healthy lifestyle by using active video games to achieve PALA+.”

The move to adopt video games for healthy living initiatives represents a huge innovation in how public health is tackling the lifestyle diseases that are such a burden on our healthcare system. Using games to promote healthier behaviors will help prevent health problems before they start.
While most of the news in healthcare these days is devoted to dealing with the high costs of care, often discussing the Affordable Care Act and the implementations of EHRs, it is important to reframe the questions to understand why the costs of healthcare are so high in the first place. Finding innovative prevention strategies aimed at healthy living will be key to lowering costs in the long run, and I expect that this initiative is one of many more to come from HHS. For more info on prevention strategies, check out the National Prevention Strategy, published in 2011 by HHS.

It’s not clear yet which companies are going to take the lead with the PALA+ initiative, but ESA member companies, including Electronic Arts, Konami Digital Entertainment, Microsoft Corporation, Nintendo of America, Sony Computer Entertainment America, Take-Two Interactive Software/2K Play, and Ubisoft, will incorporate PALA+ promotional features into some of their most popular active video games. Those features will include:

  • Interactive tools to help kids and families monitor the progress of their physical activity and healthy eating goals;
  • Tracking tools to help participants in different schools and communities engage in competition; and,
  • Helpful tips and information on healthy living from PCFSN (President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition)

In addition to providing very practical ways for us to get active and stay healthy through gamification, these initiatives are also simply doing a great job at raising awareness for healthy living. I remember when Nintendo’s WII first came out, and it was a big hit among families, and incorporated WII Fit as a way to actually get exercise while standing in front of the television. Now, it seems we are in the second phase of the fitness gaming evolution, and the games that are being developed are more refined and linked in with broader initiatives. While there have always been trendy ways to stay fit, it seems that these innovative technologies being developed will truly have widespread appeal, particularly for the younger audience.

Here are some key features usually included when applying game mechanics to non-game applications:

  • Points: Points are used in non-game apps as a way to denote achievement and work to keep the user motivated for the next reward or level.
  • Badges: Merit badges are often used as codes of honor in the gaming world, representing challenges overcome and status earned. In a community, badges can carry mild social nudges to encourage everyone to ‘keep up’ or pursue an area of specialization.
  • Leaderboards: Leaderboards rank users and work to motivate through competition. Leaderboards can also be used in team vs. team competitions, where the additional motivations of social obligation and camaraderie encourage individuals to participate.
  • Challenges: Challenges focus attention and effort and take the mind off of everything else. Challenges can also be used to make the more mundane tasks of everyday maintenance more enticing.

Click here for more info on PALA+.

TAGGED: gamification

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Matt Allen June 7, 2012
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article 10 YouTube Videos Every Senior Caregiver Should Watch
Next Article Complex Disease Management: What’s Next for mHealth?

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
Health May 27, 2023
nursing trends and predictions
Biggest Nursing Trends and Predictions for 2023
Nursing May 25, 2023
medical answering service
How Medical Answering Services Can Improve Patient Care
Technology May 25, 2023
healthy parenting
4 Ways Parents Can Raise a Healthy and Happy Child
Parenting May 25, 2023

You Might also Like

don't sleep with contact lenses
Wellness

Why You Should Never Sleep While Wearing Your Contacts

April 4, 2023
orthotics
Wellness

Find the Perfect Orthotic Device to Make Foot Pain Manageable

April 4, 2023
sleep apnea
News

Viktoriya Dombrovska Shares Insights on Sleep Apnea

April 3, 2023
employee health and safety consultants
News

Safety Consultants Can Craft Great Health and Wellness Policies

April 3, 2023
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?