Previously submitted to: JMIR Formative Research (no longer under consideration since Apr 13, 2026)
Date Submitted: Feb 1, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Feb 3, 2025 - Mar 31, 2025
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Virtual Reality (VR) Game Design for Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Clinical Expert Qualitative Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic conditions diagnosed during childhood. When a child is first diagnosed with T1D the parent is the primary manager of the condition, the responsibility begins to switch over to the child during adolescence. Resources to help children with T1D begin to learn about managing during pre-adolescence (8-12 years) will allow them to practice diabetes management skills. By applying serious game mechanisms to virtual reality (VR), it creates an opportunity for pre-adolescents with T1D to practice managing diabetes in a safe and virtual environment.
Objective:
The goal of this paper was to interview clinical staff to identify themes of T1D management skills for pre-adolescents and to utilize their expertise for designing a skill building VR game.
Methods:
We conducted 30-minute interviews with 9 clinical staff who manage pediatric patients with T1D to better understand their perspectives about the transition process and their experiences with engaging with diabetes technology. To identify common themes and ideas, the interview data was transcribed, and a pattern coding technique and thematic analysis were applied.
Results:
Three common themes emerged from the data. The first theme was that peers can influence medical adherence. Secondly, youth naturally seek autonomy and independence during the pre-adolescence years. Lastly, parental interactions impact transition style. Clinical staff suggested personalized gaming options, multi-functionality of avatars, skills, scenarios, and data sharing.
Conclusions:
Serious games for VR during the pre-adolescent years may allow youths to build a skill set and open conversations on how virtual reality technology can promote adherence to personalized treatment plans in pre-adolescent youth with T1D. Our results lend support that games should include a first-person avatar interacting with other characters, which would contribute components of autonomy and relatedness to the skill-building competency featured in existing T1D serious games.
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