Anicet Mbida 06:51, January 03, 2023
Anicet Mbida delivers to us every morning what is best in terms of innovation.
This Tuesday, he is interested in the benefits of some video games for health.
Some are now assimilated to real drugs, others are even reimbursed by social security.
The innovation of the day should appeal to fans of controllers. Some video games are now assimilated to real drugs. Others are even reimbursed by social security.
This may change our view of video games.
We will finally realize that they are not always mind-numbing, that they can also facilitate certain medical treatments.
This is the case of OdySight, a seemingly classic game.
We embody a small character who must solve puzzles.
Except that secretly, it will assess our vision and above all, automatically notify the doctor in the event of a drop in his visual acuity.
It's a prescribed game—it's always weird to say “you'll play me 3 games of OdySight a week”.
But it's a game really prescribed by an ophthalmologist when you have a high risk of visual impairment or a retinal disease such as AMD.
By immediately notifying the doctor, the game will avoid delays in treatment, the risk of recurrence and superfluous check-ups.
It's not the video game that heals.
It simply helps to monitor the progress of the disease.
That is true.
But that's already a lot.
You should know that the success of a treatment against AMD is based above all on regular monitoring of the patient.
However, it is a treatment that is very expensive for social security (around €10,000 per year and per patient).
So by triggering visits and injections only when necessary, we save money for both the patient and health insurance.
This is why it is the first video game reimbursed by social security.
In the United States, we have just gone one step further with the first video game officially recognized as a medicine.
It's called EndeavorRx.
It is an adventure game prescribed to treat hyperactivity in 8-12 year olds.
Which may come as a surprise when you imagine that video games tend to excite children.
That works ?
Has it been proven?
Sure !
This has been proven as for all authorized drugs.
It has been the subject of several clinical studies and each time the symptoms have disappeared or been reduced.
This is a very important first, because it paves the way for a whole new sector: that of digital therapies.
Because yes, virtual reality, screens and controllers can entertain us.
But they also have enormous therapeutic potential.