PARTNER
The Digital Lab
Type of work
Digital Theraputics
technology
Overview
Better Tools for Reducing Pediatric Preoperative Anxiety and Pain
Studies show that 65–80% of children experience anxiety before surgery. The anxiety often appears as nervousness, worry, or fear and can trigger physical reactions like increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, and heightened sensitivity to pain. As a result, children may feel more pain during or after an intervention, need more medication for relief, and become more agitated or disoriented during recovery. These effects can make both the intervention and the healing process more challenging, highlighting the importance of managing anxiety effectively.
In pediatric healthcare, leveraging distraction therapeutics — such as interactive games, virtual reality (VR), guided play, or storytelling — offers a powerful approach to reducing anxiety, pain perception, and procedural distress in young patients. Amongst the different distraction therapeutics, tools aiming to induce a flow state —a state of deep focus and full immersion in an activity— have the potential to better facilitate a natural absorption that diverts attention away from medical procedures. "Flow State" is a mobile game, designed to induce flow state through balancing skill and challenge, providing clear goals, and offering immediate feedback.
Research & Design
Intentional Game Design
Flow State was developed as a "rhythm game" with dynamic difficulty. The combination of music, movement, pattern recognition, and real-time difficulty adjustments helps the player stay deeply engaged while naturally aligning with the core principles of flow. This innovative game offers several key benefits:
- Balances Challenge & Skill: Dynamic difficulty ensures the game is neither too easy nor too hard, preventing boredom or frustration. This keeps players engaged at the perfect challenge level, sustaining flow.
- Provides Immediate Feedback & Clear Goals: Players receive instant auditory and visual feedback, reinforcing their progress. Clear objectives, such as maintaining a streak or perfect timing, help maintain focus.
- Induces a Hypnotic, Predictable Pattern for Absorption: Rhythm naturally entrains the brain, promoting deep focus and reducing anxiety. Predictable beats and structured interactions create a sense of control and immersion.
- Enhances Motor Skills & Cognitive Processing: Repeated rhythmic interactions improve reaction time, coordination, and cognitive flexibility.
- Induces a Trance-Like State That Reduces Anxiety & Pain Perception: Engaging in rhythmic activities triggers dopamine release, reducing stress and discomfort. This makes it an effective tool for distraction therapy in medical settings.
- Boosts Motivation & Encourages Long-Term Engagement: Adaptive difficulty keeps players challenged and motivated to keep playing. Gamification elements like high scores and unlockables encourage continued participation.
Potential Impact
Changing the "Game", One at a Time
The Flow State game has the potential to be a "game-changer" in pediatric healthcare by providing an engaging and effective way to manage anxiety in young patients. When children are immersed in a rhythm-based game such as Flow State, the game's real-time feedback and adaptive difficulty has the potential help them stay focused, diverting their attention away from stressful medical procedures. This distraction not only helps reduce feelings of fear and nervousness but also minimizes the physiological effects of anxiety, such as elevated heart rate and blood pressure. By keeping children in a flow state, these games create a sense of control and enjoyment, allowing them to feel more relaxed and cooperative during treatments. This therapeutic approach can significantly improve the patient experience, decrease the need for sedatives, and contribute to faster recovery and emotional well-being.
Learn More
CHARGE
Bringing robots to life for healthcare through interactive storytelling.
.svg){kind=logo}
