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Computer simulation to help battle HIV/AIDs
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June 23, 2006
Health care professionals may soon have a new tool to fight HIV/AIDS, thanks to researchers at Simon Fraser University’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology.
The researchers, led by assistant professor Mike Dobson, have developed HealthSimNet, a computer simulation designed to help practitioners safely explore new treatment options. On the surface, it resembles the popular computer game, The Sims. But instead of imaginary characters, HealthSimNet deals with the all-too-real dramas of people with HIV/AIDS.
The team recently put HealthSimNet through its paces with health care practitioners – including medical, nursing and pharmaceutical students, and social workers – at St. Paul’s hospital in Vancouver. Dobson and his team will now evaluate the St. Paul’s trials as they seek additional funding to further develop the simulation.
Graduate student Daniel Ha says he and his fellow researchers are interested in health-based games that present realistic interactive scenarios.
“Healthcare professionals are generally taught how to treat a standardized patient, within a narrow scope of specialization,” he says. “We’re trying to tell a larger story, bringing in different perspectives for a more holistic approach.” Ha says the game environment allows stakeholders to explore options, interact with other caregivers, and experiment with a variety of approaches to a problem.
Still under development, HealthSimNet is a collaborative project that also involves the UBC College of Health Disciplines, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and others. It is part of a larger project, Simulation and Advanced Gaming Environments (SAGE) for Learning (www.sageforlearning.ca), led by SFU education professor David Kaufman.
SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology is located at the university’s Surrey campus, which will officially open its new campus at Central City on Sept. 8, 2006.
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The researchers, led by assistant professor Mike Dobson, have developed HealthSimNet, a computer simulation designed to help practitioners safely explore new treatment options. On the surface, it resembles the popular computer game, The Sims. But instead of imaginary characters, HealthSimNet deals with the all-too-real dramas of people with HIV/AIDS.
The team recently put HealthSimNet through its paces with health care practitioners – including medical, nursing and pharmaceutical students, and social workers – at St. Paul’s hospital in Vancouver. Dobson and his team will now evaluate the St. Paul’s trials as they seek additional funding to further develop the simulation.
Graduate student Daniel Ha says he and his fellow researchers are interested in health-based games that present realistic interactive scenarios.
“Healthcare professionals are generally taught how to treat a standardized patient, within a narrow scope of specialization,” he says. “We’re trying to tell a larger story, bringing in different perspectives for a more holistic approach.” Ha says the game environment allows stakeholders to explore options, interact with other caregivers, and experiment with a variety of approaches to a problem.
Still under development, HealthSimNet is a collaborative project that also involves the UBC College of Health Disciplines, the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, and others. It is part of a larger project, Simulation and Advanced Gaming Environments (SAGE) for Learning (www.sageforlearning.ca), led by SFU education professor David Kaufman.
SFU’s School of Interactive Arts and Technology is located at the university’s Surrey campus, which will officially open its new campus at Central City on Sept. 8, 2006.
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