Can an online game help you better control your blood sugar?
It can, if the results of a recent study are any indication.
In the study, published in the September issue of Diabetes Care, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System randomly assigned 456 participants with diabetes, all veterans, to complete an online diabetes self-management game or an online civics game.
Participants answered questions from the game twice a week, using questions sent by email or a mobile app. The questions focused on topics such as better food and exercise choices, diabetes medication use and diabetes complications. Participants chose the correct answer or answers for each question. Each question featured an attention-grabbing picture. For instance, a question on the right pace for a brisk walk showed someone running away from a charging bull. Participants also received an explanation for the correct answer.
[See: The 12 Best Diets to Prevent and Manage Diabetes.]
Participants received points for correct answers; the game grouped participants by region, and they could track individual and team scores on electronic leader boards. Participants also received a gift certificate to an online store.
The participants completing the online diabetes self-management game had a greater reduction in their hemoglobin A1C — a measurement of their blood sugar over two to three months — compared with the participants completing the online civics game. In fact, those with poorer blood sugar control had an improvement comparable to starting a new diabetes medication. The reduction in hemoglobin A1C continued through 12 months and was most notable at six months after the game ended. The changes in blood sugar control seemed to be tied most closely to lifestyle changes such as exercise and nutrition.
There were a few reasons why the game probably helped participants lower their blood sugar.
First, the study used something called the spacing effect, which is an idea in psychology that information presented over spaced time intervals increases long-term retention.
Although researchers were initially surprised by how long the blood sugar improvements lasted, the findings fit in well with the study’s focus on the spacing effect, says Dr. B. Price Kerfoot, an associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and the lead study author.
The online game fits in well with today’s increasing connection between health and technology, says licensed clinical psychologist Lisa Herman of Synergy eTherapy in Minneapolis. “Technology is becoming more and more readily available with innovative games, apps and platforms to help people manage chronic diseases and overall wellness,” Herman says. Even Herman’s business, which offers online therapy sessions, reflects that connection between health and technology. From smartphone apps for stress reduction to telemedicine to wearable fitness trackers, we’re becoming more comfortable with the technology-health connection.
The use of an online game to learn about diabetes was probably also engaging for the participants. “It’s on their own terms, it’s private and technology is definitely more stimulating than a written brochure,” Herman says. It could even be used by partners, parents, teachers or other people who support a patient’s diabetes self-management, says licensed clinical psychologist and certified diabetes educator Maureen Monaghan, an assistant professor of psychology and behavioral health at Children’s National Health System in the District of Columbia.
[See: Got Diabetes? Why You Must Protect Your Feet.]
There is also the increased chance of improved diabetes education no matter what the educational setting. “The more the person with diabetes engages in these subject areas, the more exposure they have to learn and incorporate into their diabetes self-management,” says Lucille Hughes, a certified diabetes educator and director of diabetes education at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, New York.
The idea behind an online game to learn more about diabetes may appeal the most to younger or tech-savvy patients, Monaghan says. It also could be a way to convey diabetes information to those who do not see a health care provider as often — for instance, someone in a rural area who must travel a long distance for medical care or someone who is more socially isolated.
Patients with mental health issues also may be seen less often and could benefit from gaming.
“Chronic medical illnesses and mental health issues like anxiety and depression go hand in hand, thus making it harder to go to a clinic to be seen for regular checkups,” Herman says. “This type of online gaming option could allow these people to receive the education they so deserve in order to make improved lifestyle choices.”
However, online gaming for diabetes education does have a few drawbacks, according to experts.
“It’s limited to those who have the technology and who can read,” Hughes says.
The gaming setting is also potentially limiting. “In comparison to traditional individual or group-based diabetes self-management education, an online game may not offer opportunities to ask questions or find out more information if a topic is confusing,” Monaghan says.
Designers of online health-related gaming need to keep their content interesting, engaging and up-to-date, Monaghan adds. She’s observed that patients tend to stay most engaged with technology or apps that have some gaming but don’t require much effort to track or log data.
Ultimately, people living with diabetes need tailored advice, Hughes says. “At some point, education needs to focus on the individual, what their glucose patterns are and how they are responding to medications, food, activity and stress. You can’t get that through gaming,” she says.
[See: Easy Ways to Protect Your Aging Brain.]
Still, the gaming approach could be part of overall efforts to broaden diabetes knowledge and self-care, the experts say.
Kerfoot and fellow researchers are exploring the game approach to improve the health of patients with obesity and heart disease. They also are developing a strategy to use the diabetes game from the study initially in the Veterans Affairs New England Healthcare System and then expand nationally via the Veterans Health Administration. Kerfoot also wants to see the games go through solid clinical testing before they are rolled out to patients. “The use of games to improve patients’ health should be based on rigorous data, not fancy marketing or pretty bells and whistles,” he says.
More from U.S. News
9 Foods That Can Keep Your Brain Sharp
Can Online Gaming Help With Diabetes Control? originally appeared on usnews.com
