About this Research Topic
Serious games, also known as health games or gamified interventions, have emerged as innovative tools that combine entertainment and education to address various health challenges. These games leverage game mechanics, virtual environments, and interactive technologies to engage users in health-related activities and deliver educational content in an enjoyable and immersive manner. Mobile health interventions, on the other hand, encompass a wide range of mobile applications, wearable devices, and digital tools that empower individuals to monitor and manage their health and well-being.
This Research Topic aims to provide a comprehensive compilation of reviews that critically evaluate the state-of-the-art knowledge on serious games and mobile health interventions. The reviews should summarize key findings, identify research gaps, and propose recommendations for future research, design considerations, and implementation strategies. We invite authors to submit reviews that encompass a broad spectrum of topics, including but not limited to:
1. effectiveness and impact: reviewing the current evidence on the effectiveness of serious games and mobile health interventions in promoting health behaviors, improving health outcomes, and supporting disease prevention and management
2. behavior change techniques: analyzing the behavior change techniques employed in serious games and mobile interventions, such as goal setting, feedback, rewards, social support, and personalization, and their impact on engagement and behavior change
3. gamification approaches: exploring different gamification strategies, such as points, badges, leaderboards, narratives, competition, and collaboration, and their potential to motivate and sustain user engagement in serious games and mobile health interventions
4. user experience and design: evaluating the user experience and design principles of serious games and mobile interventions, including usability, accessibility, aesthetics, immersion, and user preferences, to enhance the effectiveness and engagement of these interventions
5. mobile technologies and wearables: reviewing the applications of mobile technologies, wearable devices, and sensors in health interventions, such as activity tracking, remote monitoring, personalized coaching, and real-time feedback
6. virtual and augmented reality: assessing the use of virtual and augmented reality in serious games and mobile health interventions, their potential applications for immersive experiences, and their impact on behavior change and health outcomes
7. integration with healthcare systems: examining the integration of serious games and mobile health interventions with healthcare systems, electronic health records, telemedicine, and remote patient monitoring, to enhance the delivery of healthcare services and interventions.
Keywords: serious games, mobile health interventions, health informatics
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.