HospiAvontuur: development of a serious game to help young children and their parents during the preparation for an admission at the hospital for elective surgery

Objective: Young children experience a significant amount of preoperative anxiety prior to surgical procedures and the induction of the general anaesthesia. Reducing preoperative anxiety is often performed by means of premedication. The use of medication has several side effects which could have a negative effect in children. The development and use of a non-pharmacological method for anxiety reduction prior to anaesthesia is subject of several recent studies. In this research paper the development of HospiAvontuur, a game for a smartphone or a mobile device, is described. The objective of the game is to inform young children (age group 4–7 years old) and their parents about an upcoming hospital admission for elective surgery.Materials and Methods: The game was developed and tested during different stages. In the first phase, stakeholders (i.e. children and their parents), were consulted about their views on preoperative preparation. In the second phase the essential game components were defined, followed by the game development. During the third phase the prototype version and the beta version of the game were tested with children of the age group.Results: Stakeholders showed a positive attitude towards a game for preoperative preparation for young children. Results from the testing of the game showed a positive result on the overall fun, characters appreciation and specific game elements appreciation. Children scored high on the knowledge questions.Conclusion: The final version of HospiAvontuur is a game to inform children and their parents for an upcoming admission at the hospital for elective surgery. The game was tested and optimised according to stakeholders feedback.