JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Children with type 1 diabetes (T1D), who receive proper self-management education, can delay or prevent complications. Smartphone-based serious games are increasingly used as an effective tool to teach self-management. When developing a serious game, it is important that the development process be user-centered. Traditionally, when children participate in the development process, different face-to-face methods have been used. However, face-to-face data collection is not always possible. In such situations, distance communication may be used when developing a serious game.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to develop a user-centered smartphone-based serious game that teaches self-management to children with T1D aged 8–14 using distance communication in both the development and evaluation of the game.

Methods:

The development and evaluation of a smartphone-based serious game prototype were inspired by the Lean principles, and a user-centered approach was applied. The development process included one expert interview and design workshops with children with T1D. Based on the interview and design workshops results, a serious game prototype was developed in PowerPoint. The evaluation of the serious game prototype included an interview with a dietitian and a playtest with children with T1D. All data was collected using distance communication.

Results:

A user-centered smartphone-based serious game prototype was developed and evaluated. The expert interview with the dietitian formed the basis for the learning outcomes in the game. Four children and their parents contributed preferences, needs, requirements, and ideas for selected parts of the game design. The dietitian evaluated the prototype positively and validated the content and accuracy. The serious game prototype was well received by the children and their parents during the playtest. The serious game prototype was perceived as a useful and engaging way to learn. However, the difficulty level was not appropriate, and the information was too basic for the participants who had been diagnosed for more than one year. The use of digital communication platforms did not cause any problems.

Conclusions:

The smartphone-based serious game prototype has the potential to be a useful and attractive tool to teach self-management. The use of distance communication proved to be a useful approach in the development of a serious game.