JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The opioid crisis continues to worsen across the United States, impacting people of all demographics. Few evidence-based interventions exist for educating families, particularly with adolescents, on opioid prescription safety. Serious games have demonstrated efficacy in improving medication-related outcomes for various health conditions. The characterizing goal of this serious game is to improve opioid safety knowledge and awareness for adolescents and their families.

Objective:

This study evaluates the efficacy of a serious game, MedSMA℞T: Adventures in PharmaCity, designed to foster opioid safety awareness among adolescents and their parents.

Methods:

A national sample of parents and their adolescent children were recruited through Qualtrics research panels, social media, listservs, snowball sampling. Eligible participants were parents of adolescents aged 12-18 and their adolescents. Study participants were required to reside in the United State, speak, read, and understand English and have access to a computer with a webcam. Parent-child dyads completed pre/post-game surveys and participated in gameplay for up to 30 minutes. Previously validated and standardized scales for adolescent opioid knowledge and awareness were employed for pre/post test surveys.

Results:

A total of 60 adolescent and 68 parent participants met full attention criteria for inclusion in this study. Statistical analysis confirmed that both adolescent’s and parent’s concept scores improved from baseline in opioid safety self-efficacy (adolescent mean(sd) = 0.35 (0.60)), p < 0.001), (parent mean (sd) = 0.28 (0.42), p < 0.001), perceived knowledge (adolescent mean(sd) = 1.08 (1.04), p < 0.001), (parent mean(sd) = 0.56 (0.55), p < 0.001), behavioral intent (adolescent mean (sd) = 0.26 (0.39), p < 0.001), (parent mean (sd) = 0.25 (0.32), p < 0.001), safe storage (adolescent mean (sd) = 0.12 (0.27), p < 0.001), (parent mean (sd) = 0.03 (0.11), p = 0.024), disposal knowledge (adolescent mean (sd) = 0.10 (0.27), p = 0.006), (parent mean (sd) = 0.07 (0.16), p < 0.001) and knowledge of misuse behavior (adolescent mean (sd) = 0.05 (0.14), p = 0.002), (parent mean (sd) = 0.04 (0.10), p <0.001). Both participants who completed and did not complete gameplay improved their knowledge and awareness.

Conclusions:

The use of this serious game to improve parent and adolescent opioid prescription safety practices was supported by study findings. MedSMA℞T: Adventures in PharmaCity is an intervention with the capability of teaching parents and adolescents about safe opioid prescription practices. Further research and game refinement is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a game-based intervention in clinical settings and community pharmacies.