The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67100

Melanie C. Green, PhD¹, John H. Holmes, PhD², William C. Holmes, MD, MSCE³, Barry G. Silverman, PhD⁴, Stephen E. Kimmel, MD, MSCE⁵, Rena Potok, PhD⁶, Michael Johns⁴, Ransom Weaver⁴, and Joshua Mosley, BFA, MFA⁴. (1) Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3815 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143, (2) Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-898-4833, jholmes@cceb.med.upenn.edu, (3) Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (4) Ackoff Center for Advancement of Systems Approaches (ACASA), University of Pennsylvania, Towne Bldg, Rm 229c, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (5) Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (6) Department of English, University of Pennsylvania, Department of English, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Stories, particularly ones that “transport” readers into a narrative world, can be potent persuasive tools (Green & Brock, 2000; Green, Strange, & Brock, 2002). Narrative presentations may be particularly effective at communicating health information in a non-threatening way. The HeartSense project combines research on persuasion and health communication with the use of an interactive, immersive story (Silverman, Holmes, & Kimmel, 2002). The goal of this effort is to test whether a computer role-playing game, created by a multi-disciplinary team, can reduce myocardial infarction (MI) mortality by reducing pre-hospitalization delay in patients. Individuals delay seeking treatment for a variety of attitudinal and social reasons. By confronting these barriers in a virtual world, players should learn how to overcome them in real-life situations.

In the HeartSense game, a player controls a main character who must persuade other characters in the storyworld that they are having heart attacks, and convince them to call 911. An initial test of the game employed two single-sex focus groups of participants selected from the target population (8 women; 8 men). The majority of participants found it fun (81% strongly agree/agree), worth playing again (75%), and worth telling friends about (81%), even though few (n = 5) had ever played videogames before. Furthermore, qualitative analysis of focus group comments revealed that participants felt they had learned useful information about early reaction to heart attack symptoms. A randomized trial is being planned to evaluate the efficacy of the game in increasing intent to call 911 upon recognizing MI symptoms.

Learning Objectives:

• 3. Describe the benefits of using interactive, narrative-based tools (videogames) for conveying
  4. health information.
  7. Identify the psychological barriers to seeking timely treatment for heart attack symptoms.
  10. Evaluate the initial test of the HeartSense game, focusing on participant enjoyment of and
  11. engagement in the interactive narrative.
  14. Recognize the benefits of using a multi-disciplinary team (physicians, psychologists, engineers, writers) to create health interventions.

Keywords: Heart Disease, Communication Technology

Related Web page: www.acasa.upenn.edu/heart.htm

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.