NEOGAMES: A Serious Computer Game That Improves Long-Term Knowledge Retention of Neonatal Resuscitation in Undergraduate Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Serious games are potential alternatives for supplementing traditional simulation-based education for neonatal resuscitation training. However, evidence regarding the benefits of using serious games to improve long-term knowledge retention of neonatal resuscitation in undergraduate medical students is lacking.Objective: We designed a serious computer game “NEOGAMES” to train undergraduate medical students in neonatal resuscitation in a cost-friendly and accessible way and to examine whether serious game-based training improves long-term knowledge retention in medical students.Methods: “NEOGAMES” consists of a screen with images of an incubator, a baby, visual objects, anatomy, action cards, monitors, real-time feedback, and emotional components. Undergraduate medical students from Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University were invited to participate and were allocated to a game group or a control group. Participants in the game group played the game before the training. All the participants completed three written tests, pre- and post-training knowledge tests and a follow-up test after 6 months.Results: Eighty-one medical students participated in the study. The student demographic characteristics of the groups were comparable, including sex, age, and grade point average (GPA). Significant short-term knowledge improvement was noticed only for male students in the game group based on their 5.2-point higher test scores than those of the controls (p = 0.006). However, long-term knowledge improvement at 6 months was identified for both male and female students in the game group, with test scores 21.8 and 20 points higher, respectively, than those of the controls (P < 0.001). The long-term knowledge retention in the game group was almost 3 times higher than that in the control group.Conclusions: Long-term knowledge retention was nearly 3 times higher for the game group than for the control group. The improvement in knowledge supports the use of serious games for undergraduate medical education.

Virtual Simulation in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Scoping Review of Recent Practice

“…From the 92 published studies, VS was reported to be applied in the educational practice involving undergraduate medical students across 25 countries including the United States [26 studies ( 15 – 40 )], the United Kingdom [9 studies ( 41 – 49 )], Germany [7 studies ( 50 – 56 )], China [6 studies ( 10 , 57 – 61 )], Denmark [6 studies ( 62 – 67 )], France [4 studies ( 68 – 71 )], Japan [4 studies ( 72 – 75 )], Sweden [3 studies ( 76 – 78 )], Canada [3 studies ( 79 – 81 )], Netherlands [3 studies ( 82 – 84 )], Spain [3 studies ( 85 – 87 )], Australia [2 studies ( 88 , 89 )], Singapore [2 studies ( 90 , 91 )], Korea [2 studies ( 92 , 93 )], Finland [1 study ( 94 )], Italy [1 study ( 95 )], Ireland [1 study ( 96 )], Colombia [1 study ( 97 )], Pakistan [1 study ( 98 )], Thailand [1 study ( 99 )], Iran [1 study ( 100 )], Poland [1 study ( 101 )], Mexico [1 study ( 102 )], Norway [1 study ( 103 )], Saudi Arabia [1 study ( 104 )], and Switzerland [1 study ( 105 )]. The distribution of included studies among different continents was shown in Figure 1 .…”

“…The second focus of VS-integrated learning contexts in undergraduate medical education was emergency and pediatric emergency medicine training, with 14 articles ( 10 , 16 – 18 , 29 , 30 , 34 , 39 , 51 , 55 , 68 , 79 , 93 , 101 ) published recently. Among them, eight studies ( 10 , 16 – 18 , 30 , 34 , 39 , 68 ) used VS-based teaching in pediatric emergencies. The VS simulators used in these studies were mainly based on virtual patient cases, and simulated the clinical critical events.…”

“…However, multiple factors including the shortages of funding and simulator technologies, the low supply of simulators, the lack of full-time trained staff, the poor motivation and experience limitations of instructors, the time intensive characteristic, etc. have been considered to have negative effects on effective implementation of current simulation-based undergraduate medical education ( 2 , 9 , 10 ).…”

Improving Pediatric/Neonatology Residents' Newborn Resuscitation Skills With a Digital Serious Game: DIANA

“…Rather than focusing on a single skill (e.g., endotracheal intubation) this computer game aims to teach the entire neonatal resuscitation algorithm. Unlike most published studies, which involved medical students (9,19,20) and expert neonatal professionals (17,21) as learners, we tested it on a group of resident students of varying experience, using a randomized control study design with the primary goal of testing short-and medium-/long-term knowledge retention [primary endpoint: compare knowledge retention of DGBL and classical training]. The analysis is done by comparing the DGBL group with an independent group undergoing classic training (e.g., 80 min theoretical teaching session provided by an expert neonatal trainer).…”

“…While it is questioned whether DGBL approach can fully replace classic teaching methodologies (9)(10)(11)(12), DGBL methods are known to be effective in checking what was learned and reinforcing motivation to enhance adult learning in medical education (13) and, more in general, in higher education (14). With particular regard to medical practice (14)(15)(16), and especially neonatal resuscitation (9,17,18), numerous existing studies demonstrate the effectiveness of DGBL/simulation methods in stimulating better learning. However, many of these studies lack a scoring baseline (pre-test), a subsequent follow up to evaluate knowledge retention, and/or a homogeneous and independent control group.…”