Health Points : Health Gamification

Roll on Episode 4! We’re joined by Dr. Jacqui Nortje to explore her work and game development at Discovery and Vitality Health. Jacqui plunged into the world of behavioural science in 2015, where her fascination with gamification took off. What started as a spark of curiosity became a full-blown passion, leading her to pursue a PhD at Wits Business School on the Effects of goal framing in Gamification. In this episode, we explore: Vitality Health’s ‘Active Rewards’ programme, and the development Process, learnings and impact of the programme over the last 10 years to over 700,000 people. That variety IS the spice of life, and the spice OF game mechanics; using data science to create more options and tailoring of game mechanics, rather than just adding more incentives. And with such a range of player types, the importance of ‘personalised gamification’ to engage both the ‘Ultra active’ rewards players to the players who are moving from inactive to active for the first time in possibly many years. And the balance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, setting a Good Goal and some of the ethics and morals of gamification….... and potential unintended consequences of gamification and behavioural science.

We’re already at Episode 3! In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Amy Duncan to explore her work and game development at Sea Monster Impact Games Studio. Amy has a PhD in Neuropsychology and is a registered Neuropsychologist with a strong background in education and academia. She is hugely passionate about using games to drive learning and behaviour change at scale to create a positive impact in the world. In this episode, we explore: Having the intuition to lead you to knocking on a game studio's CEO's door because you’re so passionate about serious & impactful games  Creating Human-centered and user-centered and designing games where players become their heroes in their own journey, as a framework for translating gameplay into new knowledge and new real-world behaviors. The therapeutic experience of games, connecting with mind, body, environment and music with examples like ‘the last my-stro’ supporting people with PTSD.   https://www.seamonster.digital/

Roll on episode 2!   In this episode we’re joined by Sam Knowles to explore his work with Novartis is developing games to encourage staff to think through the many facets involved in pharmaceutical drug research, development and delivery from patient and stakeholder perspectives. Sam is the Chief Data Storyteller at Insight Agents and the author of the Using Data Better trilogy of books “Narrative by Numbers”, “How to be Insightful” and “Asking Smarter Questions”. Sam is also an Advisory Council Member for the Harvard Business Review, is Vice President of Brighton Chamber of Commerce and to finish off this list, and Sam is the host of the Podcast ‘Data Malarkey’   In this episode we explore: The games Sam created with Novartis to provide professionals with a fun way to explore the options for patient-focused drug design and delivery, rather than following the industry default of another ‘patient involvement panel’. The value of ‘physicality’ in non-digital, analogue games to create in-person connections and conversations. How a game can provide a safe space for teams to consider a number of different and sometimes difficult scenarios that professionals working in patient engagement face. And, the importance of storytelling in games, as data-driven decision-making is challenging, as we make decisions emotionally, because we take cognitive shortcuts, and people remember stories more than statistics; Telling people facts isn’t enough, but through good storytelling in games, this is the potential that can motivate people to change thinking, decision and ultimately behaviours    https://insightagents.co.uk/meet-the-agents/ https://insightagents.co.uk/data-malarkey-podcast/  

We're back! Series 3 of Health Points is here.    To kick off Series 3, we have an exceptional episode with Dr. Alexander Fanaroff, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.  In this episode, we talk through Alexander's pioneering and insightful study: The Effect of Gamification, Financial Incentives, or Both to Increase Physical Activity Among Patients at High Risk of Cardiovascular Events: The BE ACTIVE Randomised Contrlled Trial.  Alexander is a medical doctor of interventional cardiology and Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has a specific interest in increasing physical activity in patients with cardiovascular disease, with a keen interest in the role of gamification to achieve this.  In this episode, we explore: The benefits of physical activity for people living with cardiovascular disease, with benefits far outweighing the risks The BE ACTIVE study highlights the role of gamification, financial incentives or both to overcome the motivational barriers for people living with a health condition to move more.  And that self-setting goals and being accountable to the reaching goals (to ones self and to others) works.    https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.124.069531 https://www.pennmedicine.org/providers/profile/alexander-fanaroff

It's the Health Points Series 2 Finale recorded at the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge Conference, December 2023.    We have a stellar lineup for our first ever in-person recording of Health Points: Jon Hymus: Managing Director of Innerva - https://www.innerva.com/  Bruce Elliott: CEO of Memory Lane Games - https://www.memorylanegames.com/ Silvia Lin: Founder of Tycho MedLink -  www.tychomedlink.co.uk   A brilliant discussion and debate on the role and future of health gamification.    We will be back with Series 3 in Spring 2024.    Keep gaming and stay healthy, Ben & Pete  

We're onto the penultimate Health Points episode for Series 2, and we have a cracking episode. Joining us is Pippa Boothman, CEO at Playfinity.  https://playfinity.com/ Pippa has a background studying sociology and criminology and previous roles in marketing and commercials before joining Playfinity.  In this episode, we explore: Rather than focusing on the 2% of kids and adolescents who follow the competitive track for sports, instead focusing on the 98% of kids and adolescents whose main focus for sport, is fun. Using technology, not to create new sports, but to measure sports actions, adding new game mechanics to existing exercises and sports From kids jumping one million times with Plyfinity, to games which are powered by the number of ball kicks, highlighting the importance of new engaging ways to motivate kids to be active, for them, and their healthy future.

Welcome to Episode 14 of Series 2, and joining us is Bruce Elliot, Co-Founder and CEO of Memory Lane Games.  Before Memory Lane Games, Bruce had a twenty-year track record of building world-class, innovative eCommerce companies. Having competed with Paypal in the online payment world to bring Kodak into the blockchain world,  Bruce has led start-ups and publicly traded companies from start-up to 1 million users and $250M annual revenues. Memory Lane Games started following a conversation between the co-founders on how to support family members, and now it's delivering over 3,000 cognitive-stimulating and socialising games, with over 100k downloads that’s being played in over 130 countries. https://www.memorylanegames.com/    In this episode, we explore: Designing ’ frustration-free’ games that includes ‘errorless learning’ that promotes longer-term engagement, social interaction, cognitive stimulation and empowered play Which all results in more laughter, happiness, improved communication, relaxation, inter-generational connections and the potential to improve the symptoms of dementia globally.

We've landed at Episode 13 of Series 2, and joining us is Wain Choi, Chief Creative Offer at Black & White.    Wain worked with some of the largest brands on the planet, marketing tech giants health & wellness features and functionality. His previous roles were as Creative Director at Zulu Alpha Kilo Inc and Cheif Creative Offer for OgiIvy and Cheil Worldwide. It was while at Cheil Worldwide he was part of the team that created the advertisement for Samsung's ' Look at Me' app, an app to support autistic children. The 'Touching Autism' promotion won the Cannes 'Gold Lion Award.    https://www.brandinginasia.com/samsung-autism-ad-wins-cannes-gold-lion-award/   This episode of Health Points is a curveball to our usual guests, as focuses on how to make health gamification more visible and accessible. In this episode, we explore: Taking digital products for entertainment and gaming and transitioning them to therapeutic purposes Moving a cold engineering brand into a warm emotive brand, with a campaign that was so successful it won one of the most prestigious industry awards The need to better communicate health gamification at a greater scale to promote the role of health gamification, and transition it towards mainstream medicine and therapeutics.

And we're at Episode 12 of Series 2, and joining us is Dr. Jonny Bloomfield, CEO at Oopla. Jonny is a Behavioral Health & Performance Coach specialising in stress management, sleep, exercise & nutrition. He has a background in Sports Science, with a PhD from the University of Hull, and started his career as a Fitness Coach at Ulster Rugby. moving on to a Sports Physiologist at the Sports Institute of Northern Ireland, then taking on the role as the first Sports Scientist for England Rugby, before moving on to occupational science roles ahead of starting Oopla.   In this episode, we explore: Taking international-level Rugby sports science to the front line of the health service staff   The exercise motivation mechanics, of not just points for being active, but adopting a strategy to be active, to get more points, reflecting more traditional strategic board & videos games   And working with different player types, to make sure everyone feels part of a community, no matter if they more of the traditional active ‘gym bunnys’, or those who are starting to discover being more active.  

Scott Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Perx Health, discusses creating personalized motivation in health self-management through gamification. They explore the economic incentives for health systems and insurers and the impact of tailored game features on engagement and retention. The podcast also covers the challenges and rewards of founding a healthcare startup and the importance of habit loops and different game mechanics in encouraging repeated engagement. Validation of clinical impact and partnerships with health plans are discussed, along with the need for positive incentives in managing chronic conditions.