Game app provides knowledge of person-centered care

Click, swipe, listen to patients and follow the talk among the healthcare staff. Now, another step in the work towards a more person-centred care is being taken as the PCC Game app is being launched. A virtual journey for greater knowledge and with tricky questions along the way.

The game app was developed on behalf of the University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-centred Care (GPCC), a research center that also works to spread knowledge about and to implement person-centred care as an approach in various health care settings around the country.

The app forms a complement to books, articles and lectures for those who want to learn more about person-centred care. After thousands of downloads of the Swedish version of the app, it's now also available for free in English, from both the App Store and Google Play.

"The PCC Game app is a complement to all of the other ways of learning we can offer. By using new media, acquiring new knowledge can become easier and more enjoyable, without the content becoming superficial," says Irma Lindström Kjellberg, Senior Adviser at GPCC.

Person-centred care means that the care recipient is not just seen as a patient with a diagnosis, but as a whole person, with experiences and knowledge that are crucial for the care to be optimal. The patient thereby becomes an important partner in the planning of care.

Research shows that the approach can reduce the number of days in hospital care, and lead to the care recipients having greater confidence in health care. But even though virtually everyone is positive towards person-centred care, many health care settings may be slow to introduce the approach in a structured and thorough manner.

The game is set up as a map, where the user can choose different tasks. The tasks are either mini-games or content that stimulates reflection. The user is also encouraged by the game to test new ideas directly in daily activities and think about the outcome.

One example of a mini-game is that the user can meet a fictitious care recipient, navigate through dialogs to then create a health plan together with the care recipient.

"When a research center and a gaming company meet, an exciting encounter arises. We've learned to use texts and images in a new way, and to think more in gaming terms. The gaming company has in turn had to learn what person-centred care involves," says Irma Lindström Kjellberg.

The game has been developed in cooperation with the software company IUS Innovation. The Swedish branch of the International Network of Health-promoting Hospitals and Health Services was also involved in the development of the game and provided opinions on content and form.