Medical video games help doctors perform major interventions, surgical procedures

The Level Ex range currently consists of a quartet of free games for iOS and Android, others under development.

Airway Ex is intended for anesthesiologists, Gastro Ex for gastroenterologists, Pulm Ex for pulmonologists and Cardio Ex for cardiologists.

"Having grown up with video games, the idea of ​​being able to practice a set of technical skills and skills based on medical knowledge while getting the same little burst of joy and joy and using dopamine to use the neurotransmitter seems to fit, says Damania.

A player must remove a papilloma from Level Ex's Pulm Ex game. (Photo: Ex Level)

Dr. Jacqueline Morano, anesthesiologist in neurosurgery and assistant professor at the University of Chicago's School of Medicine, has been added. "People who are good at video games are really good at some aspects of clinical medicine."

Doctors earn extra credits to play

Level Ex games are based on real and sometimes rare cases that have been submitted by doctors. And as unorthodox as it may seem, by playing their role, doctors can earn CME or continuing education credits for the maintenance of their license.

"It is extremely important for us to have access to continuing medical education," Morano said.

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Level Ex is the brainchild of CEO Sam Glassenberg, who worked in video games (at LucasArts and Microsoft) made him the "black sheep of the family" while he had not followed his family to the faculty of medicine.

While Level Ex has hired its share of video game developers, the company also employs full-time physicians and biomedical engineers.

Level Ex also relies on more than 150 medical advisors from Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern and other regions, who submit cases and ensure the accuracy of challenges.

For the uninitiated, computer-generated graphics have a realistic appearance, ranging from changes in blood color when mixed with other body fluids to how the patient swells or breathes. But with the sound effects, music, the use of color and some controls, it is possible to take into account the game environment.

Some cases in games exploit augmented reality technology, in which the virtual blends with your real environment.

A complex case inside Airway Ex involves a 45-year-old patient from the emergency room who complained of shortness of breath. A large obstructive supraglottic tumor is discovered. The patient must be intubated and the player must find the best way to remove the mass.

In a Pulm Ex case based on a real incident, a patient is a carpenter who accidentally inhaled a nail. The nail pierced the wall of the carpenter's trachea. In this complex case, a doctor / player who tries to remove the nail can consult the actual chest X-rays and CT scans.

Doctors trying to resolve Cardio Ex cases might need to determine which configurable stents, balloons and atherectomy exercises are needed to restore blood flow to the heart.

The Cardio Ex video game is for cardiologists. (Photo: Ex Level)

Mark points and consequences

In the different scenarios, players are scored on speed, tissue trauma, blood loss, and of course, accuracy of procedure and patient survival. Doctors can compete with other doctors or themselves. And yes, as with other video games, players can compare their results to the best scores.

The degree of difficulty and challenges become increasingly difficult as you go. The most important and complex cases are those in which doctors can obtain CME credits.

Dr. Eric Gantwerker divides his time between his role as Vice President and Medical Director of Level Ex and his medical practice as a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon. He jokingly says that he sometimes tells parents of patients or patients themselves that he has perfected his art by playing video games.

"You really have to measure your audience and see how they react," he laughs.

Although free application games are designed for doctors and other medical industry players – and include their own medical jargon – anyone can play it. If you are about to undergo a colonoscopy, you can get an idea of ​​what you are about to live playing, says Gantwerker.

Since Level Ex combines play with education, designers need to find a balance between rewards and positive results, but also make it difficult for players to stay interested.

Losing the game – and the patient

In the meantime, since Level Ex games are just that – games – they are supposed to be fun, even if the story of previous cases can involve real life and death situations.

"There is actually a big debate in the simulation world and even in games about the loss of a patient and the effect of that effect on the provider or the person who plays the game," says Gantwerker.

So, how do botching and poor score procedures within games affect the confidence of a doctor who has to deal with these real cases?

"We give you the ability to handle very serious scenarios, but being able to do it in an environment without consequences means you can try different approaches," said Glassenberg. "One of the best ways to learn is to fail. I would much rather fail on a virtual patient than on a living patient. "