Free PMC article
Free PMC article
Abstract
Background:Neonatal healthcare professionals require frequent simulation-based education (SBE) to improve their cognitive, psychomotor and communication skills during neonatal resuscitation. However, current SBE approaches are resource-intensive and not routinely offered in all healthcare facilities. Serious games (board and computer based) may be effective and more accessible alternatives.
Objective:To review the current literature about serious games, and how these games might improve knowledge retention and skills in neonatal healthcare professionals.
Method:Literature searches of PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE databases were performed to identify studies examining serious games in neonatology. All games, such as board games, tabletop games, video games, screen-based simulators, tabletop simulators and virtual reality games were included.
Results:Twelve serious games were included in this review (four board games, five video games and three virtual reality games). Overall, knowledge improvement was reported for the RETAIN (REsuscitationTrAINing for healthcare professionals) board game (10% increase in knowledge retention) and The Neonatology Game (4.15 points higher test score compared with control). Serious games are increasingly incorporated into Nursing and Medical School Curriculums to reinforce theoretical and practical learning.
Conclusions:Serious games have the potential to improve healthcare professionals' knowledge, skills and adherence to the resuscitation algorithm and could enhance access to SBE in resource-intensive and resource-limited areas. Future research should examine important clinical outcomes in newborn infants.
Keywords:newborn; resuscitation; serious games; teaching.
Competing interests: MRGB, PvH and GMS have registered the RETAIN board game (Tech ID 2017083) and the RETAIN video game under Canadian copyright (Tech ID 2017086). MRGB and GMS are owners of RETAIN Labs Medical, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (https://www.playretain.com), which is distributing the game.
Similar articles
The RETAIN Simulation-Based Serious Game-A Review of the Literature.
Ghoman SK, Schmölzer GM. Ghoman SK, et al. Healthcare (Basel). 2019 Dec 22;8(1):3. doi: 10.3390/healthcare8010003. Healthcare (Basel). 2019. PMID: 31877882 Free PMC article. Review.
Consideration of using virtual reality for teaching neonatal resuscitation to midwifery students.
Williams J, Jones D, Walker R. Williams J, et al. Nurse Educ Pract. 2018 Jul;31:126-129. doi: 10.1016/j.nepr.2018.05.016. Epub 2018 May 28. Nurse Educ Pract. 2018. PMID: 29879636
[Newborn resuscitation and support of transition of infants at birth].
Madar J, Roehr CC, Ainsworth S, Ersda H, Morley C, Rüdiger M, Skåre C, Szczapa T, Te Pas A, Trevisanuto D, Urlesberger B, Wilkinson D, Wyllie JP. Madar J, et al. Notf Rett Med. 2021 Jun 2:1-47. doi: 10.1007/s10049-021-00894-w. Online ahead of print. Notf Rett Med. 2021. PMID: 34093078 Free PMC article. Review. German.
Cutumisu M, Brown MRG, Fray C, et al. . Growth mindset moderates the effect of the neonatal resuscitation program on performance in a computer-based game training simulation. Front Pediatr 2018;6:195 10.3389/fped.2018.00195 -DOI- PMC- PubMed Starcke K, Brand M. Decision making under stress: a selective review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012;36:1228-48. 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.003 -DOI- PubMed Wemm SE, Wulfert E. Effects of acute stress on decision making. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2017;42:1-12. 10.1007/s10484-016-9347-8 -DOI- PMC- PubMed Kim Y, Woo J, Woo M. Effects of stress and task difficulty on working memory and cortical networking. Percept Mot Skills 2017;124:1194-210. 10.1177/0031512517732851 -DOI- PubMed LeBlanc VR, MacDonald RD, McArthur B, et al. . Paramedic performance in calculating drug dosages following stressful scenarios in a human patient simulator. Prehospital Emergency Care 2005;9:439-44. 10.1080/10903120500255255 -DOI- PubMed