Evidence-Based Serious Games in Pediatric Care

Abstract

Children may find hospitalization to be a stressful experience. Children who are hospitalized show high levels of anxiety symptoms. Being away from home and entering a hospital environment causes anxiety and stress for both the child and the child's family. The basis of these fears and concerns is inadequate preparation for hospitalization and the lack of information. Children who are afraid and anxious can be uncooperative when performing clinical procedures. If their fears and concerns are not addressed, these negative emotions can become permanent and can be triggered when they return to the hospital, which can have negative effects on long-term health outcomes. These fears of children need to be reduced. Children state that they will have less fear and anxiety if they are informed about hospital-related procedures. While providing this information, it should be child-centered. Interventions that will reduce children's fear and anxiety during hospitalization include classical methods such as developing books or brochures and having them draw pictures. Although these methods have demonstrated various benefits, computer, and web-based interventions have been shown to be the best way to prepare hospitalized children. Computer and web-based interventions have begun to be used frequently in children in recent years. Especially the fact that children are very interested in digital games, and the increase in child internet users day by day has created a different area for nurses to implement interventions using serious game interventions. The uses of serious game interventions in the field of child health are interventions such as increasing the anxiety, pain, and knowledge level of children who are hospitalized for various reasons. In this section, it will be described the effects of serious game interventions in the care of hospitalized children. © 2025 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.