Serious game as an educational tool to promote the health of children and adolescents with cancer.
Abigail Victória de Sousa Biró, Juliana Andreia de Souza Fernandes, Sheila Milena Pessoa Dos SantosFernandes and 3 others
PMID 40381998WHAT IT FOUND
15 children and adolescents with cancer rated a printed board game about cancer and treatment as acceptable for usability, with a mean score of 95.16 on a 0 to 100 scale.
It did not show improved knowledge, anxiety, or clinical outcomes.
Key findings
0115 children and adolescents with cancer completed the usability assessment.
02The game received a mean System Usability Scale score of 95.16 on a 0 to 100 scale and was classified acceptable.
03The game content was based on a scoping review and INCA manuals and was validated by experts using the Content Validation Index.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 15 children and adolescents tested the game, so the usability score cannot be treated as broad evidence. There was no comparison group and no measure of whether the game improved knowledge, anxiety, coping, or clinical outcomes. The study excluded children with low cognitive levels or those unable to continue because of treatment side effects, so it may not apply to all pediatric oncology patients. It was done in one hospital in Brazil with Portuguese materials, so transfer to other settings is unknown. The authors noted difficulty finding low-cost, sanitizable materials for hospital use.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the acceptable usability score as proof that the game improves cancer knowledge, anxiety, coping, or clinical outcomes. The study only asked 15 children and adolescents to rate the game after playing it, and it did not compare it with usual education or measure those outcomes.