Video Game Training May Improve Guideline-Concordant Trauma Triage

Follow Drugslib on

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on April 23, 2026.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, April 23, 2026 -- A purpose-driven video game for emergency physicians may improve guideline-concordant trauma triage of seriously injured older adults, according to a study published online April 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Deepika Mohan, M.D., from the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues evaluated whether a purpose-driven video game improves emergency physician adherence to trauma triage guidelines for older adults. The analysis included 800 emergency physicians responsible for the triage of 41,073 Medicare fee-for-service injured patients (aged 65 years and older) at 1,147 non-trauma center hospitals. Participants were randomly assigned to game-based training on a tablet for an initial session of two hours and then a 20-minute session each quarter or usual education.

The researchers found that physicians in the game-based training group had a lower proportion of severely injured older adults who were undertriaged (49 percent; 402 of 819) versus the usual education group (57 percent; 527 of 919). There were no significant differences for overtriage or composite outcome.

"Serious games offer an appealing alternative because they scale easily and require few resources other than the time spent by physicians," the authors write. "Games engage clinicians as partners [and] are unlike the nudge (choice architecture) interventions that seek to manipulate behavior, risk undermining the agency of clinicians, and fail to improve decisions in the absence of the intervention."

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-04-24 02:02

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords