Game Solutions for Healthcare

Penn Nursing's Game Solutions for Healthcare initiative encourages interdisciplinary teams of students, staff, and faculty to build mHealth tools and applications that provide solutions to a wide variety of healthcare issues using gaming technology and publically available data.

Examples of mHealth apps include medication management, health risk detectors, health equity for developing countries, nurse recruitment tools that promote diversity, nurse workflows, and patient-centered care tools. Our initiative aims to stimulate and expand on the interconnectivity between healthcare science, research, and clinical practice cultures. 

Game Solutions for Healthcare Awards

Penn Nursing's inaugural Game Solutions for Healthcare Symposium, Awards Ceremony, and Networking Event was held on April 19, 2012 and featured a keynote address by Karl T. Ulrich  entitled, "Innovation Tournaments." Ulrich is the Vice Dean of Innovation and the CIBC Professor of Entrepreneurship and e-Commerce at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds an appointment as Professor of Mechanical Engineering. His research is focused on innovation, entrepreneurship, and product development.

2012 Award Winners

MyDiaText » First Place

A smart phone and web-based application for kids with diabetes to send and receive information from providers about their blood sugar status and health goals. Its purpose is to engage youth in the management of their diabetes.

Trigger Busters » Second Place

A phone game for asthma control in children that teaches about asthma triggers and daily medication management.

Healthy Cities, Healthy Women » Third Place

A game that raises awareness around urban women’s health issues and the cultural and social determinants that affect their health, such as:  safety, housing, education, access to healthy foods, and healthcare.

Mission Reintegration » Social Impact Award

Soldiers report one of the most difficult aspects of combat is the return to civilian life. The goal of the Mission Reintegration games is to begin 'reintegration education' from the very start of a soldier's deployment.

Questions? gameinfo@nursing.upenn.edu