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Poo Manager: Co-Designing a Serious Computer Game to Improve Constipation Management Awareness in Carers of People
Serena Daniel1, Ruth Bishop2, Stephen Howard3
1University of Exeter Medical School Truro UK.
Healthcare Technology Letters
|November 6, 2025
Summary
A serious game called "Poo manager" was developed to educate caregivers on preventing and managing constipation in people with intellectual disability (PwID). The game showed promise in improving knowledge and was found acceptable and feasible for use.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare for people with intellectual disability
- Digital health interventions
- Patient education and caregiver training
Background:
- People with intellectual disability (PwID) experience high rates of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and premature mortality.
- Constipation is a prevalent and serious health issue for PwID, often exacerbated by inadequate caregiver knowledge and societal stigma.
- Existing educational tools for constipation management in PwID are limited, highlighting a gap in caregiver support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a serious game (SG), "Poo manager," designed to educate caregivers on constipation prevention and management in PwID.
- To assess the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the "Poo manager" SG intervention.
- To explore the potential of SGs as an engaging platform for health education and stigma reduction in this population.
Main Methods:
- Collaborative design of the "Poo manager" SG involving clinicians, academics, game developers, and people with lived experience.
- Co-production workshop with PwID, carers, and clinicians to gather feedback on gameplay.
- Evaluation using validated measures to assess intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and adoption feasibility.
Main Results:
- Over 60% of users found the SG enjoyable and believed it could enhance constipation management knowledge.
- The intervention demonstrated high scores for acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.
- Some usability concerns were noted, suggesting areas for future refinement.
Conclusions:
- "Poo manager" is a promising serious game intervention with the potential to improve constipation care for people with intellectual disability.
- The SG effectively engaged users and showed positive indicators for knowledge enhancement and practical application.
- Further development and formal effectiveness evaluation are recommended to confirm the impact on clinical outcomes.
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