"World Heath Care Congress Affordable Health Innovations Exhibit and Awards" 7th Annual World Health Care Congress 2010

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The PC-based videogame Re-Mission was developed by HopeLab for adolescents and young adults undergoing cancer treatment. The game is based on empirical needs-assessment studies and theoretical models of behavior change and consists of 20 missions inside fictional cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. Players control a nanobot that destroys tumor cells, battles bacteria, and manages side effects with traditional therapies. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to test the effect of Re-Mission on adherence, cancer-related knowledge, and self-efficacy among adolescents and young adults with cancer. In the trial, 375 male and female cancer patients 13-29 years old were enrolled at 34 medical centers in the U.S., Canada and Australia and randomly assigned to receive a PC with a control video game or a PC with the same control video game plus Re-Mission. Adherence, cancer-related knowledge and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline and at 1- and 3-months. More than 80% of patients eligible to play Re-Mission did so. Data show that patients who played Re-Mission adhered to prescribed chemotherapy and antibiotic regimens more consistently over time than those who did not. In addition, patients’ cancer-related knowledge (p=.044), self-efficacy to communicate about cancer (p=.025) and manage side effects (anxiety [p=.043], constipation [p=.007]) increased in the Re-Mission group. These data show that a theoretically-based, data-driven intervention delivered in an appealing interactive videogame context can produce significant increases in cancer-related knowledge and self-efficacy. Based on these results, Re-Mission was released to the public in 2006 and is available from HopeLab free of charge as an online download or in CD and DVD formats. As of January 2010, HopeLab has distributed more than 155,000 free copies of Re-Mission have been distributed to 81 countries worldwide. Game distribution is supported in part by the Entertainment Software Association Foundation and CIGNA Healthcare.

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