Categorynews

MindBytes BVBA Publishes First Peer-Reviewed Manuscript on Its SERES

May 2, 2019 Off By BusinessWire

TURNHOUT, Belgium & EDMONTON, Canada–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MindBytes BVBA and its subsidiary, MindLab Interactive AI Inc.,
(“MindBytes”) today announced that its first peer-reviewed manuscript
was published in the open access journal JMIR Serious Games (JSG),
a leading journal on gaming and gamification for health education,
teaching, and social change. In the JSG Publication, the Company
describes the findings of a critical review of the serious games for
health (SGH) research literature alongside the formulation of its SERES™
Framework.

“Based on our review of the literature, it was clear that SGHs which are
theory-driven, and evidence-based have a greater likelihood of realizing
their objectives, yet there was no consensus framework for developing
such tools. Therefore we developed the SERES™ Framework to guide SGH
stakeholders. Key elements of the SERES™ Framework include a robust
scientific evidence base, real-life perspective, explicit translation of
evidence into design elements, a methodological development approach,
and quality evaluation”, states Lead Author of the JSG
Publication, Dr. Sarah Verschueren.

“Developing tools that can achieve their intended objectives is critical
for those in the healthcare space. Accordingly, we are pleased to
formally publish on our SERES™ Framework, which ensures that our tools
are theory-driven and evidence-based, maximizing their potential for
success”, says MindBytes’ CEO, Geert Vander Stichele.

“By applying the SERES™ Framework, SGH stakeholders will ensure that
their tools are theory-driven and evidence-based, resulting in benefits
for patients, families, and/or clinicians”, notes Dr. Sarah Verschueren.
For MindBytes’ tools, this translates to a greater potential to empower
individuals and their families to change their behaviour and improve
their lives.

MindBytes has established proof-of-concept by applying the SERES™
Framework in the development of an SGH, CliniPup^®. In
collaboration with the KU Leuven in Belgium, the company performed a
pilot trial on CliniPup^®, which demonstrated that children
who played CliniPup^® prior to ambulatory surgery experienced
lower pre-operative anxiety than those who did not. A second trial has
since been performed in collaboration with Ghent University in Belgium
and a third, pivotal trial is planned in Q2 2019.

In addition, MindBytes has applied the SERES™ Framework to develop
interactive educational tools targeting behaviour change in various
health and social settings such as pediatrics, mental health, oncology,
neurodegenerative diseases, and rare diseases. The Company and its
collaborators continue to disseminate research findings in leading
digital health journals and at medical conferences.

About MindBytes BVBA

MindBytes, formed in 2014 in Belgium, is a leading service provider with
operations in Europe and North America that develops data-smart
educational software aimed at realizing behavioural changes for
healthcare, pharmaceutical, and government clients. MindBytes is
composed of a multidisciplinary team of Software and Data Engineers,
Science Experts, and Communication Professionals that are dedicated to
helping people and organizations change their behaviour and make better
decisions. The driving force behind their projects is a shared passion
for improving the lives of patients and their families. Its client list
currently includes several top 10 pharmaceutical companies, regional
governments, and healthcare institutions. More information is available
about the company at: www.mindbytes.be

About CliniPup^®

CliniPup^® is a web-based serious game for health (SGH) aimed
at reducing perioperative anxiety and pain in children aged 6-10 years
undergoing ambulatory surgery and their parents. CliniPup^®
was developed by MindBytes BVBA using its SERES™ Framework and was
evaluated with the KU Leuven in a prospective, randomized, controlled
pilot trial at RZ Tienen Hospital in Belgium (n=20), which demonstrated
that children who played CliniPup^® experienced less
pre-operative anxiety than those who did not. CliniPup^® has
also been evaluated in a secondary trial at Ghent University Hospital in
Belgium (n=73) and a third, pivotal trial is currently planned for Q2
2019. Manuscripts on CliniPup’s development and the pilot study are in
press and Vanhulle et al. presented a scientific poster at
the 2018 European Pediatric Psychology Conference on the secondary
trial. More information is available about CliniPup^® at: www.mindbytes.be

Original article:

Verschueren S, Buffel C, Vander Stichele G. Developing Theory-Driven,
Evidence-Based Serious Games for Health: Framework Based on Research
Community Insights. JMIR Serious Games 2019;7(2):e11565. https://games.jmir.org/2019/2/e11565/

DOI: 10.2196/11565