Gamification stuff we love: The Pain Squad
The Pain Squad was developed to assist children in keeping a daily journal of their pain whilst undergoing cancer treatment. Doctors and nurses had found that due to the nature of the treatment, children were often too tired to fill in a report, yet the data is invaluable for both the treatment and further research into the disease.
They designed an app that is easy to use and has a game like feel. they hired actors from police shows on television to record motivational messages when they reached a significant new mile stone or level. The patient is put in a first person driving seat in the case agains battling pain and is an active part of the Pain Squad. They earn badges and complete levels when they consistently enter their journals. The app also sends a reminder twice per day to record your case findings.
Motivationally having some element of being in charge whilst being sick is in my view a strong pull to engage with the app. Secondly the fact that they chose a police theme also concurs with the feelings of anger and frustration at pain and against the illness.
Have a look at the video to find out how it is affecting patients and their families:
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What other applications have you come across to assist with treatments?
