Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-22
2001-04-03
Harrison, Jessica J. (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
C434S236000, C434S350000, C273S243000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210272
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of children's health education, and in particular to a method of health education using an interactive multi-player interactive electronic game.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the treatment and prevention of chronic medical conditions, it is often very important to instill in the patient healthy habits that the patient will maintain over the long term. Also, the patient needs to be informed about his or her condition. Moreover, it is often useful for the patient to have social interactions and discussion about health and self-care. Thus, three major goals of health education are: habit formation, communication of knowledge, and provision of social support.
Traditional methods of health education include classroom instruction, showing films, and providing pamphlets to patients. While these methods may provide a large amount of didactic content, they are not especially well suited for habit formation and for providing social support.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
Interactive electronic games offer some unique advantages over conventional methods of health education for young people. Electronic game playing is highly appealing to children and adolescents. About 70% of U.S. homes with children have electronic game systems, and children who own them spend an average of 1.5 hours playing interactive electronic games each day. Although conventional video game systems are still used, personal computers are capable of running increasingly sophisticated interactive games and have thus become a popular alternative to other electronic game systems. With computer and game systems connected to a communications network, the distance between players becomes irrelevant as players can engage in games and interact with each other remotely. Moreover, electronic games have interactive capabilities that lend themselves well to experiential learning. While pamphlets, films, or traditional classroom instruction may provide more didactic content, a compelling interactive electronic game can expose children to essential content repeatedly, as many children will typically play a game they like for at least a month or two and for dozens of hours. Also, playing electronic games with others can encourage children to talk about health topics and can serve as springboards for discussion with friends, family and health care providers about sensitive topics.
For example, children with diabetes who reported great difficulty in talking to peers about their disease had no difficulty in playing diabetes-related electronic games with their peers. In fact, diabetic children eagerly shared their knowledge and thoughts about diabetes with other children, often for the first time, while playing a diabetes-related game of the present invention. Interplayer communication helps provide social support related to the health condition under treatment.
Thus, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a method that facilitates social interaction and discussion about health and self-care. It is another object of this invention to provide a method of health education that is particularly suited to habit formation in young people. These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent after consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objects and advantages of the invention are achieved with a method of health education using a multi-player interactive electronic game. The method induces cooperation and discussion between the game players by correlating the players' progress toward achieving their game objectives. The correlation of the players' progress can be achieved through the use of common resources by the players; in particular, in embodiments of the current invention, improper health behavior by a player negatively affects some of the common resources. The correlation can also be achieved by assigning the players to defend from disease a game domain, such as a region of the body. The correlation can also be achieved through the use of a scoring system based on the Prisoner's Dilemma.
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Black Lowe & Graham PLLC
Clayton Sheila
Harrison Jessica J.
Health Hero Network, Inc.
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