Gamification in Critical Care Education and Practice

Gary Alan Bass; Cherylee W J Chang; Lauren R Sorce; Sanjay Subramanian; Adam D Laytin; Reka Somodi; Jaime R Gray; Meghan Lane-Fall; Lewis J Kaplan

doi:10.1097/CCE.0000000000001034

Gamification in Critical Care Education and Practice

Crit Care Explor. 2024 Jan 19;6(1):e1034. doi: 10.1097/CCE.0000000000001034. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Authors

Gary Alan Bass¹, Cherylee W J Chang², Lauren R Sorce³, Sanjay Subramanian^{4

5}, Adam D Laytin⁶, Reka Somodi⁷, Jaime R Gray⁸, Meghan Lane-Fall⁹, Lewis J Kaplan¹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Emergency Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
² Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.
³ Department of Pediatrics (Critical Care), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
⁴ Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.
⁵ Omnicure Inc., St. Louis, MO.
⁶ Departments of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
⁷ Section of Surgical Critical Care, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA.
⁸ Department of Pharmacy, Temple University Health System, Philadelphia, PA.
⁹ Departments of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine and Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Abstract

Objectives: To explore gamification as an alternative approach to healthcare education and its potential applications to critical care.

Data sources: English language manuscripts addressing: 1) gamification theory and application in healthcare and critical care and 2) implementation science focused on the knowledge-to-practice gap were identified in Medline and PubMed databases (inception to 2023).

Study selection: Studies delineating gamification underpinnings, application in education or procedural mentoring, utilization for healthcare or critical care education and practice, and analyses of benefits or pitfalls in comparison to other educational or behavioral modification approaches.

Data extraction: Data indicated the key gamification tenets and the venues within which they were used to enhance knowledge, support continuing medical education, teach procedural skills, enhance decision-making, or modify behavior.

Data synthesis: Gamification engages learners in a visual and cognitive fashion using competitive approaches to enhance acquiring new knowledge or skills. While gamification may be used in a variety of settings, specific design elements may relate to the learning environment or learner styles. Additionally, solo and group gamification approaches demonstrate success and leverage adult learning theory elements in a low-stress and low-risk setting. The potential for gamification-driven behavioral modification to close the knowledge-to-practice gap and enable guideline and protocol compliance remains underutilized.

Conclusions: Gamification offers the potential to substantially enhance how critical care professionals acquire and then implement new knowledge in a fashion that is more engaging and rewarding than traditional approaches. Accordingly, educational undertakings from courses to offerings at medical professional meetings may benefit from being gamified.

Keywords: behavior; critical care medicine; education; gamification; guidelines.