Gamification in Healthcare and Wellness

Gamification Fundamentals

Gamification in healthcare and wellness involves applying game design elements, principles and mechanics to non-game health-related contexts to improve clinical outcomes, engage users and reinforce positive behaviours.

It transforms routine activities into interactive and enjoyable experiences, encouraging participation and fostering a mindset of steady, incremental growth.

Principles of Gamification

Key principles of gamification often revolve around:

Objectives: Clear goals that users strive to achieve.

Rewards: Incentives for completing tasks or reaching milestones (e.g., points, badges, virtual currency, etc.).

Competition/Collaboration: Elements that encourage users to compete with others or work together towards a common goal (e.g., leaderboards, team challenges).

Feedback: Immediate and clear information on user progress and performance.

Storytelling/Narrative: Creating an engaging context or journey for the user.

Progression: Showing users their advancement through levels or stages.

Autonomy: Giving users a sense of control over their choices and actions.

How Gamification Increases User Delight

Gamification contributes to user delight by tapping into intrinsic human motivations and psychological drivers. It makes tasks, which can often be perceived as mundane or challenging, more appealing and less daunting. The mechanisms through which gamification fosters user delight include:

Increased Engagement: By making experiences interactive and enjoyable, gamification captures and sustains user attention, leading to higher levels of engagement with health programs or applications.

Motivation and Adherence: Rewards, progress tracking and clear objectives provide motivation, encouraging users to adhere to health routines, medication schedules or lifestyle changes.

Sense of Achievement: Earning badges, points or reaching new levels provides a tangible sense of accomplishment, boosting self-esteem and satisfaction.

Social Connection: Leaderboards, team challenges, and social sharing features can foster a sense of community and friendly competition, making the health journey less isolating and more enjoyable.

Positive Reinforcement: Immediate feedback and rewards reinforce positive behaviours, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages continued participation.

Reduced Perceived Effort: By framing health tasks as games, the perceived effort required is often reduced, making users more willing to participate and less likely to feel overwhelmed.

Personalization: Many gamified solutions allow for personalized goals and challenges, making the experience more relevant and delightful for individual users.

These elements collectively transform potentially tedious health management into an engaging and rewarding experience, thereby increasing user delight and improving health outcomes.

Successful Healthcare Gamification Use Cases

EveryMove, a USA based healthcare platform aggregates data from various fitness trackers and apps, allowing friends to compare their progress and motivate each other through social competition.

Blue Shield of California is a US based not-for-profit health insurer who use social media to make wellness fun. Participants earn points, badges, status and can track their progress. The company reports high employee participation and a significant drop in smoking prevalence.

mySugr, an USA based app owned by Roche, uses a gamified approach to help both children and adults manage diabetes. It features a 'diabetes monster' and has over a million registered users worldwide.

MindMaze, a US based company uses VR, brain imaging, and gaming to help retrain the brains of stroke victims, and is also developing solutions for spinal cord injury and amputee patients.

eQuoo is a UK based clinically proven gamified mental health tool that uses psychology, gamification and interactive storytelling to boost resilience and decrease anxiety and depression. It's designed to make mental wellbeing more approachable and enjoyable, particularly for younger generations.

MediBuddy Wellness League (MWL), launched by India based MediBuddy is an initiative aimed at empowering corporate India with a gamified health approach. The league encourages employees to prioritize their well-being and prevent health issues in the workplace.

Biofeedback-Based Mobile App, developed for young adults with anxiety in the UAE, integrates biofeedback with serious games to help users manage their anxiety symptoms. The app was co-designed with mental health professionals and includes several gamified features:

Implementing Gamification Within Your Brand Marketing

Understand the Target Audience and Health Goal: Before implementing any gamified solution, conduct thorough research to understand the specific health challenges, motivations and preferences of the target demographic. Gamification for children would differ significantly from that for adults managing chronic conditions or corporate wellness programs. Tailor game mechanics to resonate with the user's intrinsic and extrinsic motivators.

Integrate Core Gamification Elements Thoughtfully:

Points, Badges and Rewards (PBRs): Design clear systems where users earn rewards for desired health behaviours. These rewards can be virtual (badges, status) or tangible (discounts, charity donations). Ensure rewards are meaningful and achievable to maintain motivation.

Progression and Levels: Structure health journeys into clear, achievable steps or levels. This provides a sense of progress and mastery, making long-term health goals feel less daunting. Celebrate milestones to reinforce positive behaviour.

Feedback Loops: Implement immediate and constructive feedback. This could be visual (e.g., heart rate zones in biofeedback apps), numerical (e.g., step counts) or qualitative (e.g., encouraging messages). Clear feedback helps users understand their performance and adjust their actions.

Leverage Social Dynamics for Engagement:

Community and Competition: Incorporate social features like leaderboards, team challenges and peer support groups. Healthy competition and collaborative goals can significantly boost engagement and adherence. Ensure these features foster positive interaction rather than discourage users.

Storytelling and Narrative: Weave health information and tasks into engaging narratives or quest-based systems. This makes the experience more immersive and memorable, transforming routine activities into an adventure.

Prioritize Personalization and Adaptability:

Customizable Goals: Allow users to set and adjust their own health goals within the gamified framework. This fosters autonomy and ensures the experience remains relevant to individual needs.

Adaptive Challenges: Design systems that adapt to user progress and performance, offering challenges that are neither too easy nor too difficult. This maintains optimal engagement and prevents frustration or boredom.

Focus on Intrinsic Motivation and User Delight: While extrinsic rewards are useful, aim to cultivate intrinsic motivation by making the health journey inherently enjoyable and rewarding. The ultimate goal is to make healthy behaviours a delightful part of daily life, not just a task to be completed.

Measure and Iterate: Implement robust analytics to track user engagement, adherence and health outcomes. Continuously gather feedback and iterate on gamification strategies to optimize their effectiveness and enhance user delight. A/B testing different game mechanics can provide valuable insights into what resonates best with specific audiences.

By strategically applying these principles, healthcare and wellness brands can create compelling and effective marketing campaigns that not only engage users but also genuinely delight them, leading to sustained healthy behaviours and improved brand loyalty.

Gamification presents a significant opportunity for brands to enhance user delight, drive engagement and improve health outcomes.

By strategically integrating game design elements such as points, badges, rewards, social interaction, and personalized progression, healthcare initiatives can transform mundane health tasks into motivating and enjoyable experiences.

The successful use cases across demonstrate the versatility and effectiveness of gamification in diverse areas.

Batti Jalao helps healthcare and wellness brands leverage meaningful insights and craft solutions that not only inspire but also result in user-delight, resulting in a stronger bond between the brands and their audiences.