title: eMedOffice: a web-based collaborative serious game for teaching optimal design of a medical practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preparing medical students for the takeover or the start-up of a medical practice is an important challenge in Germany today. Therefore, this paper presents a computer-aided serious game (eMedOffice) developed and currently in use at the RWTH Aachen University Medical School. The game is part of the attempt to teach medical students the organizational and conceptual basics of the medical practice of a general practitioner in a problem-based learning environment. This paper introduces methods and concepts used to develop the serious game and describes the results of an evaluation of the game's application in curricular courses at the Medical School.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of the conducted evaluation gave evidence of a positive learning effect of the serious game. Educational supervisors observed strong collaboration among the players inspired by the competitive gaming aspects. In addition, an increase in willingness to learn and the exploration of new self-invented ideas were observed and valuable proposals for further prospective enhancements were elicited. A statistical analysis of the results of an evaluation provided a clear indication of the positive learning effect of the game. A usability questionnaire survey revealed a very good overall score of 4.07 (5=best, 1=worst).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We consider web-based, collaborative serious games to be a promising means of improving medical education. The insights gained by the implementation of eMedOffice will promote the future development of more effective serious games for integration into curricular courses of the RWTH Aachen University Medical School.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Informatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen 52074, Germany. andreas.hannig@rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hannig
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuth
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özman
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.forename: Cord
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spreckelsen
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003479:Curriculum; D004389:Durable Medical Equipment; D004501:Education, Medical; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D008611:Mentors; D009313:National Health Programs; D010824:Physicians' Offices / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020443:Practice Valuation and Purchase / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D012985:Software Design; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D018910:Video Games