AntibioGame®: A serious game for teaching medical students about antibiotic use. (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tsopra, Rosy; Courtine, Mélanie; Sedki, Karima; Eap, David; Cabal, Manon; Cohen, Samuel; Bouchaud, Olivier; Mechaï, Frédéric; Lamy, Jean-Baptiste
• Is Part Of: International journal of medical informatics. Volume 136(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Serious games -- Antibiotics -- Infectious diseases -- Primary care -- Education -- E-learning; Medical informatics -- Periodicals; Information science -- Periodicals; Computers -- Periodicals; Medical technology -- Periodicals; Medical Informatics -- Periodicals; Technology, Medical -- Periodicals; Computers; Information science; Medical informatics; Medical technology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 610.285
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104074
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1386-5056

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: AntibioGame® is a serious game designed for teaching antibiotics in primary care. It is based on gamification techniques and cartoon graphics. It is a case-based game that is easy for the medical educational team to update. Medical students recommend incorporating AntibioGame® into their training. AntibioGame® is a promising tool for improving medical training in antibiotics. Abstract: Introduction: Measures for controlling antimicrobial resistance are urgently required. We describe here AntibioGame®, a serious game for improving the training of medical students in antibiotic use in primary care. Objective: We aimed to design a serious game for antibiotics teaching and to evaluate its usability and playability by medical students. Methods: We used various gamification techniques (e.g. use of mascots, avatars, rewards, leader board) and cartoon graphics in the design of AntibioGame®. This game implements clinical case templates built from a list of learning goals defined by a medical team through an analysis of clinical practice guidelines. The game was evaluated by asking medical students to rate their satisfaction and the usability and playability of the game on an electronic form and through group discussions. The electronic form was derived from the MEEGA + scale, a five-point Likert scale including 32 items for assessing both usability and playability. Results: AntibioGame® is a case-based game in which students play the role of a doctor meeting patients in consultation and helping other health professionals to solve their problems, as in real life. The scenarios are realistic and cover situations frequently encountered in primary care. The 57 medical students enrolled found the game attractive, usable, fun, and appropriate for learning. Game quality was considered "good" (score = 60 on the MEEGA + scale). All the students said they would recommend the game, 96 % liked it and 81 % would use it for revision. Conclusion: AntibioGame® is a promising tool for improving knowledge in antibiotic prescription that could easily be included in multifaceted programs for training medical students.