Mobile Health Applications in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review of the Reviews

Scoping Review of Gamification in Rehabilitation Care of Adults With Chronic Illnesses

BACKGROUND

Gamification uses game-based mechanics, aesthetics, and game thinking to engage people, motivate action, promote learning, and solve problems. However, gaps remain in understanding and implementing gamification in rehabilitation care, necessitating further exploration and clarification of the best evidence for application of gamification.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a scoping review of the use of gamification in rehabilitation care for adults with chronic illnesses, summarizing the scope, forms, elements, guiding theories, effectiveness, and ease of use of gamification.

METHODS

Eight databases in English or Chinese were searched from January 1, 2011 to May 20, 2024 following the standard scoping review framework.

RESULTS

A total of 24 papers were included. Gamification was applied in the rehabilitation of endocrine, skeletal, circulatory, neurological, and cerebrovascular diseases, primarily using virtual reality and three-dimensional forms. Eight gamification elements were most commonly utilized. Positive outcomes included enhanced rehabilitation knowledge, improved attitudes, better physical function, and increased self-care ability. Most patients found gamified rehabilitation care engaging and easy to use.

DISCUSSION

The application of gamification in adult chronic disease rehabilitation care shows great promise. However, the lack of theory-driven or longitudinal data in some studies highlights the need for more randomized controlled and longitudinal research to explore the effectiveness of gamified intervention.

Feasibility and utility of mobile health interventions for depression and anxiety in rural populations: A scoping review

Despite the potential of mobile health (mHealth) to address high rates of depression and anxiety in underserved rural communities, most mHealth interventions do not explicitly consider the realities of rural life. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and examine the available literature on mHealth interventions that consider the needs of rural populations in order to gauge their feasibility and utility for addressing depression and anxiety. Additionally, we provide an overview of rural users' perceptions about and preferences for mHealth-delivered mental health screening and intervention systems. Out of 169 articles identified, 16 met inclusion criteria. Studies were conducted across a wide range of countries, age groups, and rural subpopulations including individuals with bipolar disorder, anxiety, perinatal depression, PTSD, and chronic pain, as well as refugees, veterans, and transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals. All interventions were in the feasibility/acceptability testing stage for rural users. Identified strengths included their simplicity, accessibility, convenience, availability of support between sessions with providers, and remote access to a care team. Weaknesses included problems with charging phone batteries and exceeding data limits, privacy concerns, and general lack of comfort with app-based support. Based upon this review, we provide recommendations for future mHealth intervention development including the value of developer-user coproduction methods, the need to consider user variation in access to and comfort with smartphones, and potential data or connectivity limitations, mental health stigma, and confidentiality concerns in rural communities.