I was reading in this week’s news that the American Heart Association (AHA) pledged $50,000 towards the completion of a project to support CPR training through applications on Nintendo’s, Wii. That shouldn’t be all too surprising… other games on the market allow players to play doctor and perform knee surgery, for example. So it seems, it’s just fun and games for now. But when the AHA project is ready, the CPR training will be offered for free at its website.
Like many of you reading this blog post, the wave of computer gaming is probably not a foreign concept, regardless of your generation… You may be a player, yourself, unwinding after work; you might be the concerned parent of the proverbial lump on the couch (your teen who spends too many hours playing); or, perhaps you’re like me, a grandfather who truly gets a kick out of a sporting event involving swinging an invisible golf club or competition against the grandbabies whereby I am punching the air, which simultaneously knocks out the bad guy on the TV screen. Whatever your involvement, gaming is, has been, and continues to be integrated with American entertainment.
But recently, scientists have stepped in to explore the outcomes of gaming on more of paradigm shift and considering the implications in the medical field. In our business of cardiovascular surgery and perfusion, it is noted that robotics are a surgical method which is seen in several procedures. Laparoscopic surgery is used for hysterectomies, some heart procedures, on prostates, colons, gall bladders and almost anything that can be accessed by a small incision. Given this fact, recognize that the surgeon’s hands are not inside the patient’s body when robotic surgery takes place. Instead, the surgeon uses tools which are not unlike a computer gamer’s “joystick”. In surgery, it is through a tiny incision that the work is done through manipulation of tools. These are watched on a video screen, coordinating the hand motion remote movement.
Several published research papers in the past year reported on the (positive) effects of gaming in healthcare learning and performance. Specifically, in an article by the American Psychological Association, several studies about gaming and its parallel to surgery were made. Specifically, in Four Dimensions of Video Game Effects by psychologist Douglas Gentile, PhD, and William Stone, it was found that 33 laparoscopic surgeons who gamed could not only perform advanced surgeries more quickly but also made fewer errors in surgery (APA, 2008). Another study, focusing on 303 surgeons, found that their spatial skills and dexterity were improved by games that require both (APA). The Wall Street Journal blog reported on another study (unnamed) and stated that,“…playing certain video games on the Nintendo Wii helps surgical residents to hone their fine motor skills and improve their performance on a serious surgery simulator.” An article in Science Daily reported the following statistics: surgeons who played three hours or more games made 37% fewer mistakes. They were also faster by 27%.
Fascinating. Technology has come a long way since a little yellow ball chased ghosts and ate them in the classic and highly addictive early computer game called, Pacman. Who would have thought that the Pacman experience would be the precurser stimulating the Robvotics Industry as a reality in our future?
Comments welcomed.
Sincerely,
Ralph E. Jordan
CEO & President
Trident Health Resources, Inc.
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