Learn how to handle your ostomy bag as you battle enemies and build new worlds. Compete in different challenges with your carer and build mutual trust together. Recognize the foods that make you feel good and give you strength and energy to defeat the “enemy”.. Play with people from all over the world, meet new friends and safely share your doubts. These are the objectives that «Stomy Craft» aims to achieve, a video game designed and created by the Federation of Incontinent and Ostomatous Associations (Fais). The project is one of the winners of the Digital Innovation in Healthcare Award 2023 from the School of Management of Milan Polytechnic.
Awareness of the importance of good nutrition
The “Stomy Craft” project, adaptation of the Minecraft video game, is capable simulate the management of the health facility and from awareness of the importance of good nutrition, to increase the child’s self-care skills. « The Stomy Craft project was born in Fais to propose a new way to inform and help pediatric patients and their families. Gamification becomes the learning tool capable of creating relationships and awareness, to improve the quality of life» explains Pier Raffaele Spena, president of the association.
The Observatory’s recognition aims to create opportunities for knowledge and sharing of the best digital health projects in Italy, rewarding organizations that have particularly distinguished themselves in their ability to use modern digital technologies. “The recognition received represents an important step in the evolution of Stomy Craft, that it gives us even more strength to continue towards our goal: helping girls and boys and their families to live better with the condition of ostomates» adds Nicola Caione, member of the board of directors of Fais and head of innovation projects. Not only. To play you need to register on the platform and the data is used by Fais to also get feedback on the usability of Stomy Craft.
Improve the ability to take care of yourself
The technological solution consists in it customize an adventure game which already has a high prevalence among children and adolescents. The dynamics of the game provide for them to be introduced to the children during the game different foods they can choose to eat or not eat. If they eat food suitable for their condition, they get bonuses or fines. The goal is to inform the patient regarding the foods appropriate for the specific medical condition. During the game, the child receives useful information to better understand his/her condition, to generate a greater capacity for self-care, which will hopefully lead to less access to health facilities and a reduction of necessary travel, as there are few centers specialized in the treatment of these pathologies in Italy.
Stomy Craft is not only a video game, but also a physical interaction: a special piece capable turn a Lego miniature into a character with the bag for the stoma and a pouch cover customizable with the image of your choice. These two additional elements are intended for improve children’s acceptance of the condition and thus determine an improvement in his quality of life.
Source: Corriere
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