A Systematic Review of Effective Gamification Elements for Enhancing Digital Health Engagement and Outcomes
Keywords:
Gamification, Healthcare Engagement, Game Elements, Digital Health Interventions
Abstract
Gamification has emerged as a transformative tool in healthcare, leveraging game elements such as leaderboards, feedback, and rewards to enhance user engagement and improve health outcomes. This study systematically examines 36 research articles to identify the most frequently employed gamification elements, their impacts, and their effectiveness across various healthcare domains. The findings reveal that leaderboards, feedback systems, and rewards are the most impactful elements, fostering motivation, adherence, and knowledge retention. While gamification significantly enhances engagement and behavioral changes, challenges remain in personalization, integration with traditional healthcare systems, and sustaining long-term user motivation. This study highlights opportunities for future research to develop adaptive gamification frameworks and address these limitations, paving the way for more effective healthcare interventions.
References
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Tolks, D., Hum, R. B., Schmidt, J. J., Kuhn, S., & Med. (2024). The Role of AI in Serious Games and Gamification for Health: Scoping Review. JMIR Serious Games, 12(1).
Tsopra, R., Courtine, M., Sedki, K., Eap, D., Cabal, M., Cohen, S., Bouchaud, O., Mechaï, F., & Lamy, J. B. (2020). AntibioGame®: A serious game for teaching medical students about antibiotic use. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 136(July 2019), 104074.
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Wan, B., Wang, Q., Su, K., Dong, C., Song, W., & Pang, M. (2021). Measuring the Impacts of Virtual Reality Games on Cognitive Ability Using EEG Signals and Game Performance Data. IEEE Access, 9, 18326–18344.
Wilson, A. S., O’Connor, J., Taylor, L., & Carruthers, D. (2017). A 3D virtual reality ophthalmoscopy trainer. Clinical Teacher, 14(6), 427–431.
Zhang, M., & Li, X. (2024). Maintaining healthy lifestyle through fitness app use: A parallel mediation model from a nationwide survey. Digital Health, 10, 1–11.
Al-Rayes, S., Al Yaqoub, F. A., Alfayez, A., Alsalman, D., Alanezi, F., Alyousef, S., AlNujaidi, H., Al-Saif, A. K., Attar, R., Aljabri, D., Al-Mubarak, S., Al-Juwair, M. M., Alrawiai, S., Saraireh, L., Saadah, A., Al-umran, A., & Alanzi, T. M. (2022). Gaming elements, applications, and challenges of gamification in healthcare. Informatics in Medicine Unlocked, 31(January).
Almousa, O., Prates, J., Yeslam, N., Mac Gregor, D., Zhang, J., Phan, V., Nielsen, M., Smith, R., & Qayumi, K. (2019). Virtual Reality Simulation Technology for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training: An Innovative Hybrid System With Haptic Feedback. Simulation and Gaming, 50(1), 6–22.
Berglund, A., Jaarsma, T., Berglund, E., Strömberg, A., & Klompstra, L. (2022). Understanding and assessing gamification in digital healthcare interventions for patients with cardiovascular disease. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 21(6), 630–638.
DamaÅ¡eviÄius, R., MaskeliÅ«nas, R., & Blažauskas, T. (2023). Serious Games and Gamification in Healthcare: A Meta-Review. Information (Switzerland), 14(2).
Das, S., Vaishnavi Nakshatram, S., Söbke, H., Baalsrud Hauge, J., & Springer, C. (2024). Towards gamification for spatial digital learning environments. Entertainment Computing, 52(July 2024).
Froland, T. H., Ersvar, E., Sjeholt, G., Heldal, I., Freyen, A. H., Logeswaran, S., Kovari, A., Katona, J., Costescu, C., Rosan, A., & Hathazi, A. (2019). MStikk-A Mobile Application for Learning Phlebotomy. 10th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Infocommunications, CogInfoCom 2019 - Proceedings, October, 499–506.
Hamari, J., Klock, A. C. T., Xi, N., & Morschheuser, B. (2012). Gamification: Designigning for Motivation. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 13–17.
Hamdi, L. F., Hantono, B. S., & Permanasari, A. E. (2022). Gamification Methods of Game-Based Learning Applications in Medical Competence: A Systematic Literature Review. Proceeding - 2022 International Symposium on Information Technology and Digital Innovation: Technology Innovation During Pandemic, ISITDI 2022, 50–54.
Hammedi, W., Leclerq, T., & Van Riel, A. C. R. (2017). The use of gamification mechanics to increase employee and user engagement in participative healthcare services: A study of two cases. Journal of Service Management, 28(4), 640–661.
Huang, J., Chen, J., & Zhou, L. (2023). Motivation crowding effects on the intention for continued use of gamified fitness apps: a mixed-methods approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 14(January), 1–17.
Kim, B., Jeong, D., Hong, H., & Han, K. (2024). Narrating Routines through Game Dynamics: Impact of a Gamified Routine Management App for Autistic Individuals. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642357
Lee, C., Lee, K., & Lee, D. (2017). Mobile healthcare applications and gamification for sustained health maintenance. Sustainability (Switzerland), 9(5), 1–12.
Liang, Z., Melcer, E., & Khotchasing, K. (2024). Sleep Hygiene Games and Gamification : Where Are We and Where Are We Heading ? Sleep Hygiene Games and Gamification : Where Are We and Where Are We Heading ? July. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.32935.56481
López Chávez, O., RodrÃguez, L. F., & Gutierrez-Garcia, J. O. (2020). A comparative case study of 2D, 3D and immersive-virtual-reality applications for healthcare education. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 141.
Neelambike, S. M., Shettar, S. R., Maheshwarappa, Y., & Megha, G. K. (2024). Gamified intervention to educate healthcare professionals on rational use of antimicrobials. MedRxiv, 04.
Ramdhani, R. M., Nurrahman, A. D., Affendi, P. H., Hasugian, L. P., & Rafdhi, A. A. (2021). Gamification Implementation in Health Service Website in 5.0 Society Era. International Journal of Research and Applied Technology, 1(2), 424–430.
Ren, J., & Lee, C. (2024). Research on the Application of Gamification in the Design of Age-appropriate Products. International Journal of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication, 16(2), 136–148.
Tolks, D., Hum, R. B., Schmidt, J. J., Kuhn, S., & Med. (2024). The Role of AI in Serious Games and Gamification for Health: Scoping Review. JMIR Serious Games, 12(1).
Tsopra, R., Courtine, M., Sedki, K., Eap, D., Cabal, M., Cohen, S., Bouchaud, O., Mechaï, F., & Lamy, J. B. (2020). AntibioGame®: A serious game for teaching medical students about antibiotic use. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 136(July 2019), 104074.
Valenzuela-Pascual, F., Pà mies-Fabra, J., GarcÃa-MartÃnez, E., MartÃnez-Navarro, O., Climent-Sanz, C., Gea-Sánchez, M., Virgili-Gomà , J., RubÃ-Carnacea, F., Garcia-Escudero, M., & Blanco-Blanco, J. (2022). Use of a gamified website to increase pain neurophysiology knowledge and improve satisfaction and motivation among students studying for a degree in physiotherapy: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Medical Education, 22(1), 1–9.
Wan, B., Wang, Q., Su, K., Dong, C., Song, W., & Pang, M. (2021). Measuring the Impacts of Virtual Reality Games on Cognitive Ability Using EEG Signals and Game Performance Data. IEEE Access, 9, 18326–18344.
Wilson, A. S., O’Connor, J., Taylor, L., & Carruthers, D. (2017). A 3D virtual reality ophthalmoscopy trainer. Clinical Teacher, 14(6), 427–431.
Zhang, M., & Li, X. (2024). Maintaining healthy lifestyle through fitness app use: A parallel mediation model from a nationwide survey. Digital Health, 10, 1–11.
Published
2025-01-21
How to Cite
Anwar, T., Tectonia Nurul Silvani, & Jeffri Prayitno Bangkit Saputra. (2025). A Systematic Review of Effective Gamification Elements for Enhancing Digital Health Engagement and Outcomes. PROCEEDING AL GHAZALI International Conference, 2, 536-546. https://doi.org/10.52802/aicp.v1i1.1365
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Articles
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