Using a community advisory board to develop a serious game for older adults undergoing treatment for cancer.
INTRODUCTION
Older adults undergoing treatment for cancer are at risk for serious complications such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). Older adults are often overwhelmed by information and under-manage cancer treatment-related side effects. New educational strategies such as serious gaming may help teach or reinforce key symptom self-management strategies. This paper describes how a community advisory board of older adults, their caregivers, and oncology nurses were consulted to develop a serious game for CINV.


METHODS
A formative evaluation process using a community advisory board (CAB) and a series of three focus groups were used to develop this serious game about managing CINV at home.


RESULTS
The formative evaluation process and involvement of the CAB allowed researchers to learn about the experience of having CINV from an older adult perspective. Common themes related to CINV onset, severity and self-management formed the basis for the serious games' script and scenarios. Themes were validated and CAB members provided feedback on a game prototype. Feedback from CAB members indicated that the serious game was realistic and reflective of their CINV experience.


CONCLUSION
Including older adults in the development of a serious game was instrumental in creating a relevant educational opportunity. Serious gaming should be considered as a way to add to the educational experiences of older adults as generic teaching methods may not address the needs of all age groups. Exploring for new ways to emphasize key points related to symptom management and prioritize learning may impact outcomes for older adults.
['Loerzel|Victoria|V|', 'Clochesy|John|J|', 'Geddie|Patricia|P|']
D000328:Adult D026683:Advisory Committees D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000932:Antiemetics D000970:Antineoplastic Agents D005260:Female D005431:Florida D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009325:Nausea D009369:Neoplasms D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic D014839:Vomiting
Serious game Older adults Cancer Nausea Intervention development ehealth