MedScrab: An Innovative Interactive Mobile Game for Enhancing Medication Knowledge Retention.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Noncompliance with treatment regimens is a significant barrier in managing chronic diseases, leading to adverse health outcomes.
• Effective strategies are needed to improve medication adherence and health information retention among the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative mobile game in enhancing medication adherence and health information retention.
• To compare the impact of a mobile game versus an informational pamphlet on patient knowledge and adherence.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted using Amazon Mechanical Turk.
• Participants were divided into two groups: one received a mobile game intervention, the other an informational pamphlet.
• Pre- and post-intervention quizzes assessed knowledge, with game play duration also recorded.

Main Results:

• The mobile game group showed a statistically significant improvement in post-intervention quiz scores compared to pre-intervention scores (p < 0.001).
• A moderate positive correlation was found between game engagement and improved scores (correlation = 0.346, p < 0.001).
• While not directly correlated, longer game play tended to associate with better outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The developed interactive mobile game demonstrates potential as an engaging tool for improving patient and caregiver empowerment in chronic disease management.
• Further research is warranted to optimize and expand the use of mobile health interventions to strengthen public health initiatives.