Interactive Digital e-Health Game for Heart Failure Self-Management: A Feasibility Study.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Informatics
• Digital Health

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) management in older adults requires effective patient education and engagement.
• Traditional methods may not fully engage community-dwelling older adults in self-management.
• Serious digital games offer a novel approach to improve health literacy and behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a serious digital game prototype aimed at enhancing heart failure (HF) knowledge and self-management behaviors in older adults.
• To assess the usability and functionality of the game among the target population.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase study involving game prototype development, usability assessment (researcher evaluation, observation, surveys), and functionality testing.
• A pretest-post-test design using validated instruments (Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test, Self Care for Heart Failure Index) to measure changes in HF knowledge and self-care behaviors.
• Postgame surveys captured participant perceptions and preferences.

Main Results:

• Usability testing indicated high acceptance, with participants finding the game easy to play, enjoyable, and helpful for learning about HF.
• Functionality testing showed the game was perceived as interesting, enjoyable, and easy to play by most participants.
• Significant improvements were observed in HF self-management knowledge, while self-reported behaviors and self-efficacy showed nonsignificant changes. Older adults with lower education levels preferred games for information delivery.

Conclusions:

• Developing a serious digital game for community-dwelling older adults with HF is feasible.
• The game prototype is satisfying and acceptable to older adults with HF.
• The digital game effectively improved heart failure self-management knowledge in the study population.