Improving Health Care Training: A Serious Game Approach to Malnutrition Screening

Objective: This pilot study explores the potential of the serious game Kamferhjemmet in training health care professionals in Norway on the use of the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST). Materials and Methods: Using a multimethods approach, the research involved pre- and postgame surveys, interviews, and observations with 29 participants from two health care institutions. Results: The findings revealed that while participants generally exhibited high digital literacy and had a positive attitude toward game-based learning, there were notable challenges, including game repetitiveness, interface issues, and the difficulty of integrating the game into busy work schedules. Despite these challenges, the majority of participants believed the game enhanced their proficiency with MUST. Conclusion: The study concludes that while Kamferhjemmet shows promise as an educational tool, further refinements to the game design and structured implementation within health care training programs are needed. Future research should explore a comparison with traditional training methods to fully assess the effectiveness of serious games in health care education.