Feeding the Flame, One Day at a Time: Design and Acceptability of a Serious Game to Support Medication Adherence and Education for Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Patients

Feeding the Flame, One Day at a Time: Design and Acceptability of a Serious Game to Support Medication Adherence and Education for Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Patients

Children and teenagers who receive a solid organ transplant (such as a kidney, liver, or heart) must take medications every day to keep their new organ healthy. Taking these medications correctly and on time is one of the most important parts of staying well after a transplant, but it can be hard for young patients to understand why this matters and to keep up with their routines. Doctors and nurses usually teach patients about their transplant through conversations, which may not always be engaging or easy for kids to remember.

This study looks at a new way to help young transplant patients learn about their condition and their medications: an educational game played on a tablet. The purpose of the study is to find out what patients think of the game and how well it works for them. Researchers want to know whether young patients find the game acceptable and enjoyable, whether it is easy to use, whether it makes them feel motivated and capable, and how engaged they feel while playing.

To do this, patients will play the tablet game and then share their experiences. After playing, they will take part in a small group interview where they talk about what they liked, what was confusing, and whether the game helped them understand their transplant and medications. They will also fill out short questionnaires about how easy the game was to use and how engaging it felt.

The researchers' hypothesis is that pediatric solid organ transplant patients will find the educational tablet-based game acceptable, easy to use, and engaging, and that it will be a welcome and helpful tool for learning about their transplant care. The findings will help guide whether this kind of game could be used to support transplant education for children and teens.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between age 7-17
• History of solid organ transplantation
• Current admission in inpatient unit
• Able to understand and interact with a tablet-based game in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Legal guardian not present to obtain consent
• Child with a significant neurological condition, or major developmental disability
• Child with active infection of the face or hand
• History of severe motion sickness
• Severe visual or motor impairment limiting gameplay participation
• Acute medical instability
• Major surgery within the last 48 hours
• Inability to understand English