Heart Failure Coach for Android

7 things about Heart Failure Coach

1. Heart Failure Coach is a patient engagement game, administered by members of the health care team, where players interact with and guide Simon, a character with congestive heart failure (CHF) who was recently released from the hospital.

2. Heart Failure Coach was developed in partnership with UPMC, a world-renowned health care provider with more than 20 hospitals and 500 doctors’ offices based in Pittsburgh, PA , for both inpatient and outpatient environments who see patients at risk for readmission for heart failure.

3. The game focuses on reinforcement of critical self-maintenance skills necessary for heart failure patients to stay out of the hospital.

4. At the end of the game, patients are given feedback on their treatment of Simon - whether they helped him to complete the essential actions and whether or not he was readmitted to the hospital.

5. Players help Simon complete key behaviors like: tracking his weight, taking his prescribed medicine, and calling the doctor if needed each day for a virtual week.

6. Players need to watch out for those midnight snacks and other cravings because they could negatively affect Simon’s progress and might cause him to be readmitted to the hospital.

7. This healthcare game has improved retention of the critical self-management skills for patients who have played and has had a positive impact on the number of readmissions.