PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Simran K Ghoman
AU  - Siddhi D Patel
AU  - Maria Cutumisu
AU  - Patrick von Hauff
AU  - Thomas Jeffery
AU  - Matthew R G Brown
AU  - Georg M Schmölzer
TI  - Serious games, a game changer in teaching neonatal resuscitation? A review
AID  - 10.1136/archdischild-2019-317011
DP  - 2020 Jan 01
TA  - Archives of Disease in Childhood - Fetal and Neonatal Edition
PG  - 98--107
VI  - 105
IP  - 1
4099  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/105/1/98.short
4100  - http://fn.bmj.com/content/105/1/98.full
SO  - Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed2020 Jan 01; 105
AB  - Background Neonatal healthcare professionals require frequent simulation-based education (SBE) to improve their cognitive, psychomotor and communication skills during neonatal resuscitation. However, current SBE approaches are resource-intensive and not routinely offered in all healthcare facilities. Serious games (board and computer based) may be effective and more accessible alternatives.Objective To review the current literature about serious games, and how these games might improve knowledge retention and skills in neonatal healthcare professionals.Method Literature searches of PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Web of Science and EMBASE databases were performed to identify studies examining serious games in neonatology. All games, such as board games, tabletop games, video games, screen-based simulators, tabletop simulators and virtual reality games were included.Results Twelve serious games were included in this review (four board games, five video games and three virtual reality games). Overall, knowledge improvement was reported for the RETAIN (REsuscitationTrAINing for healthcare professionals) board game (10% increase in knowledge retention) and The Neonatology Game (4.15 points higher test score compared with control). Serious games are increasingly incorporated into Nursing and Medical School Curriculums to reinforce theoretical and practical learning.Conclusions Serious games have the potential to improve healthcare professionals’ knowledge, skills and adherence to the resuscitation algorithm and could enhance access to SBE in resource-intensive and resource-limited areas. Future research should examine important clinical outcomes in newborn infants.