title: Designing and remotely testing mobile diabetes video games.
abstract: We have investigated game design and usability for three mobile phone video games designed to deliver diabetes education. The games were refined using focus groups. Six people with diabetes participated in the first focus group and five in the second. Following the focus groups, we incorporated the new findings into the game design, and then conducted a field test to evaluate the games in the context in which they would actually be used. Data were collected remotely about game usage by eight people with diabetes. The testers averaged 45 seconds per question and answered an average of 50 total nutrition questions each. They self-reported playing the game for 10-30 min, which coincided with the measured metrics of the game. Mobile games may represent a promising new way to engage the user and deliver relevant educational content.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University, Grant House Room 205, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0203, USA. jpdeshazo@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeShazo
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pratt
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012648:Self Care; D018910:Video Games