The Benefits of Video Games in the Health Care Industry

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The Benefits of Video Games in the Health Care Industry Although video games have earned a bad reputation among media and parents, attention must be paid to the positive effects of engaging in them. Video games are a beneficial tool for the health care industry. Whether using existing commercial games or custom-made games, patients affected by cerebral palsy or a stroke can improve their quality of life and practitioners can improve their manual dexterity. Video games have been used with patients from as early as the 1980s and customized games are evolving for varying disease groups and for training surgeons in clinical skills. One in 500 children are diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), which is a disease that causes physical disability with symptoms including decreased muscle strength and impaired sensation (Biddiss). Most commonly, CP patients have total or partial paralysis of one side of the body that requires intense physical and occupational therapy that can be done in a clinic setting or at home. CP patients often see these unoriginal therapies as boring and repetitive, and are unmotivated to maintain their therapy schedules. Video game-assisted rehabilitation can help improve the patient’s progress by motivating them to participate in daily routines. Rewards for continued involvement in these virtual reality treatments can range from scoring and point accumulation, and access to higher game levels, to improvement in muscle strength and increased ability to use affected limbs (Biddiss). Video game systems that use movement based technology such as the Nintendo Wii® and Microsoft Kinect® provide accountability for the patient performing daily exercises. These systems provide many of the same advantages of a session with a physical therapist, but in the comfort of the patient’s own home. These advantages can increase motivation by providing an entertaining

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