FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2006
Contact: Becky Ceraul rceraul@som.umaryland.edu 410-706-7590
Ellen Beth Levitt eblevitt@umm.edu 410-328-8919

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF MEDICINE TO HOST GAMES FOR HEALTH CONFERENCE

Cross-section of researchers, professional, and game developers will explore video game-based innovation in health and healthcare

With the video game industry booming and developing new technologies every day, a unique two-day conference called Games for Health will once again bring together health care professionals, game developers, academic researchers, and consultants to explore how video games and game developers are driving new strategies in health care. The conference will be held Sept. 28-29 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in downtown Baltimore in partnership with the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

The video game industry is moving beyond entertainment to address a wide range of public and private policy, leadership, and management issues. As a result, the self-titled “serious games” field is exploding with work. Within this overall genre of games is a specific set of projects focusing on health and health care.

"Game developers have the skills to create programs that will help patients learn about diseases and disease management," says Bruce Jarrell, M.D., vice dean for academic affairs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "There is real promise in the video game industry to bring needed health care information to patients in a familiar and exciting format," he adds.

Games for Health 2006 will feature more than 30 sessions on the latest and most innovative ways that video and computer gaming are becoming a powerful influence on health and health care. Sessions will feature products and projects aimed at personal health, professional health care training and skill development, epidemics and disaster response, obesity and health messaging. The conference will also include on-site demonstrations of the latest technologies and advances in the field. Last year’s conference, also held at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, drew over 200 researchers, developers and health care professionals.

"We’re excited to see more and more innovators from the health and gaming arenas working together to make a real impact on people's health," says Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Games for Health Project, which is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio. “In the last year we have seen a growing appreciation for what modern day videogames can offer to health care. The combination of powerful technology, evolved interface design, and growing use among the next wave of health care workers is creating a ripe environment for further growth in this field.”

The Games for Health Project is designed to foster the development of health-focused, video game-related projects. This year's Games for Health conference will feature case studies, a demonstration expo, research, lectures, panels, and discussions covering a wide range of topics and projects. Highlights include:

The Games for Health conference is open to the public, but registration is required. For registration information, log on to www.gamesforhealth.org/events.html.

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This page was last updated on: September 25, 2006.