ECGBL 2015 - European Conference on Games Based Learning Steinkjer, Norway Lifestyle related conditions such as obesity and diabetes represent one of the most serious challenges to global health which threatens the sustainability of health services. In countries like the UK, there are regular headlines about the likely consequences of growing levels of obesity, especially in children, for future generations. The challenge therefore is to find sustainable practices which tackle this issue successfully and avoid the serious consequences of a breakdown in health services and consequent incidence of avoidable mortality. There is a general acceptance of the need to change lifestyle behaviours of all ages of citizens but there are a number of important barriers to affecting these changes which include :- • Lack of motivation and practical inability to change lifestyle • Lack of awareness and understanding of the consequences of obesity on future health • Ready availability and attractiveness of fast food with poor nutritional content • The belief that free health services on demand will be available when needed • A model for health insurance which does not link premiums to lifestyle behaviours These factors, coupled with a perception that the Government should take responsibility for ensuring the health of its people, leads to demands for Government intervention on issues such as sugar content in food, penalties for poor fast food provisions and the display of nutritional content on food packaging. All of these suggested interventions are designed to allow citizens to continue their chosen lifestyle practices without any responsibility for managing their own health. This situation is increasingly unsustainable and requires interventions which facilitate a shift change in the citizen’s acceptance of more responsibility for personal health and the necessary tools, motivation and incentives to change lifestyle practices in a positive way.

1. Gamification and Lifestyle Technologies for Personal
Health Management
ECGBL 2105 Steinkjer
October 2015
David Wortley GAETSS

2. 2
What is Gamification?
Every Human Activity can be Viewed as a Game !!

3. 3
Games are part of Everyday Vocabulary

4. 4
Gamification is a Life Skill
Gamification and the ability/motivation to Gamify is embedded in
the genetic make up of every living creature.

5. 5
The Gamification Lens
Strategist
Tactician
Motivator
Coach
Skill
Ability
Motivation
Self-Esteem
Loyalty
Passion
Engagement
Support
Interest
Awareness
Knowledge
Unaware
Independent
Self-sufficient
Growing Influence
and Ability to
Achieve Goals

6. 6
The Gamification Cycle
Challenge
Response
Measurement
Feedback

7. 7
Gamification Elements
Scenarios/Narratives
Challenges
Rules
Chance/Uncertainty
Risks
Rewards/Incentives
Penalties
Competition
Exploration
Success/Achievement
Failure
Discovery
Leaderboards
Learning
Development
Skill/Ability
Action/Reaction
Measurement
Feedback
Reflection
Gamification introduces some or all of these elements into
everyday situations

8. 8
The "A List" Influencers
Every Individual responds to different influencers in making
decisions or choices

9. 9
Why Gamification?

10. 10
The Attention Economy
The Next Generation have very different expectations

11. Global Lifestyle Related Challenges
Modern Lifestyle
consequences include many
negative effects which place
increasing demands on
available resources and
threaten the sustainability
of public services for future
generations

12. Global Challenge – Health
Obesity, Diabetes, Cancer & Cardiovascular Problems
● Sedentary lifestyle
● Convenience foods
● Comfort eating
● Inadequate exercise
● Couch potato syndrome
● Spectator society

13. Changing Lifestyles
and Consumer Empowerment
One of the consequences
of this convenient and
easy access to our daily
wants and needs is a
decline in the physical and
mental challenges
necessary for our lifelong
development and health
maintenance

14. What can be Done ?
The consequences of a failure to address these challenges are unthinkable…..

15. Serious Games and Health
Leveraging Consumer Technology to Address Global Challenges

16. How do we Solve the Problem?
● Develop clinical solutions that prevent or
manage these conditions or
● Influence the food industry and citizens
through public policy interventions or
● Develop better personal health
management solutions and practices
18

17. Clinical Solutions
19

18. Public Policy Interventions
Taxes & Legislation
20

19. Public Policy Interventions
Awareness and Education
21

20. Better Personal Health Management
22

21. Which is the Best Solution?
Who will Provide the Solution?
23
Medical Professionals or Politicians or Citizens?

22. The Transition from Cure to Prevention
It’s quite clear that the best chance we have for
increasing our life spans and overall improving
our health is to adjust our personal behaviours
and to do so at an early age.
24

23. The Same but Different !
My Body is not a Temple it is a Car

24. Navigating Life’s Journey
Life is like a journey from the cradle to the grave. We know the starting
point and the final destination and we are aware of the places en route
but we have little idea of how long the journey will last and whether
the route will be easy or difficult

25. Our Body is our Journey Vehicle
Our body is the vehicle that will take us to our final destination and its
condition determines where we are on that journey, the nature of the
journey and how long it will last. Most of us do not know or monitor our
body’s condition or properly maintain it

26. Cars before Data Technology
We used our human skills to get the best from our
vehicles supported by knowledge professionals

27. Breakdowns and Repair
The consequence of this lack of technology in older cars was
more breakdowns and a reliance on garages and mechanics to
diagnose problems, maintain and repair

28. Data Measurement and Visualisation
Modern cars tell us oil
pressure, temperature,
speed, range of petrol tank,
warn us of any impending
problems, tell us where we
are and how to get to our
destination and compute new
routes if we go off track

29. Lifestyle Technology Transforming Health Management
Wearable and embedded technologies change the dynamics of our management like
the dynamics of car health management

30. Where are We and Where can we Go?
Wearable and embedded lifestyle technologies
provide the tools to manage our health

31. But how can we change Personal Behaviours?
33

32. Who will Most Influence Future Health?
34

33. An Approach for Better Personal Health
Gamification Enabling Technologies

34. Mobile Apps
36

35. Demonstrable Results
Substantial improvements in physical and mental
health are achievable

36. Before and After
2013
2013 Feb 2015

37. Measurement and Feedback
39Snapshot data Real Time data

38. Lifestyle Technology Roadmap
● Wearable consumer devices like iWatch to provide
advanced health metrics
● Healthcare costs linked to lifestyle behaviours
● Revolution in the healthcare ecosystem
● Use of wearable lifestyle devices for identity
applications
● Growth in embedded devices that not only
monitor but also control
● The Singularity – Immortality ?