A Practical Report on an Attempt to Develop and Exhibit videogames and Its Utility by Long-Term Inpatients

- In terms of motivational change -

Abstract

This case study is a presentation on the usefulness of home-made video games. There have been previous studies on medical serious games, in which hospitalized patients play serious games and become more positive about their treatment. On the other hand, there is a lack of previous research on the internal changes that occur when hospitalized patients develop own games. In this study, the first author, three hospitalized patients with muscular dystrophy and their occupational therapist (the second to fourth authors and the fifth author, respectively) formed a research team and jointly developed three types of games while sharing information online. The produced games were then exhibited at a community event and video recordings of the games being played were made available for reference. Finally, the co-researchers, hospitalized patients (second to fourth authors), were asked to reflect on their experiences through responses to a questionnaire. As a result, we observed an improvement in the inpatients' self-esteem through the experience of creating a game and having it played by able-bodied people.