DYNSEO, your partner for the development of therapeutic monitoring applications and gamification
Specialized in the development of innovative digital health solutions, the agency DYNSEO supports laboratories, research centers, and healthcare professionals in creating therapeutic monitoring applications that integrate elements of gamification. Our expertise allows us to design customized, secure tools that comply with regulatory standards, while placing the patient experience at the heart of every project. Whether to improve treatment adherence, enhance participant engagement in clinical trials, or enrich the user experience through playful and interactive interfaces, we guide you at every step: design, development, deployment, and maintenance
In the world of clinical trials, we have often found that patient participation can be a major challenge. The processes can seem long and tedious, which can discourage patients from fully engaging. This is where gamification comes into play.
By integrating game elements into clinical trials, we can transform the experience for participants, making the process more interactive and engaging. Gamification is not just about adding rewards or points; it involves a complete reinvention of how we interact with patients throughout the study. We have seen that gamification can not only improve participant experience but also enhance the quality of the data collected.
By making clinical trials more appealing, we can encourage greater adherence to study protocols and better communication between researchers and participants. This paves the way for a new era of innovation in clinical research, where patient engagement is at the heart of every study.
The benefits of gamification for patient participation
One of the main advantages of gamification in clinical trials is its ability to increase motivation and engagement among participants. By integrating playful elements, such as challenges, leaderboards, badges, or virtual rewards, we transform processes often perceived as burdensome into interactive and stimulating experiences.
Here are some key benefits of gamification applied to clinical trials:
Enhancing patient motivation
E.g.: offering points or rewards for each milestone achieved, such as regular data entry or participation in follow-up visits.
This encourages consistency and loyalty among participants throughout the trial.
Creating a sense of belonging
Leaderboards, progress charts, and collective challenges allow patients to feel like members of a community engaged in a common goal.
This can reduce the isolation often felt in long-term studies.
Reducing anxiety and the perception of procedural burden
By transforming questionnaires or medical follow-ups into mini-games or interactive quests, we alleviate the psychological and emotional burden.
Participants approach each stage of the trial with less apprehension.
Improving understanding of protocols
E.g.: interactive explanatory videos or playful quizzes to verify understanding of medical instructions.
Patients are more attentive and better assimilate the essential information for their participation.
Facilitating real-time data collection
Gamified systems integrated into mobile applications can send reminders, turn questionnaire completion into daily challenges, and ensure better data quality.
Increasing participant retention
Clinical trials often suffer from a high dropout rate. By introducing playful mechanisms, we create a more engaging experience that encourages participants to see it through to the end.
In summary, gamification is not just about making the experience more enjoyable: it contributes to improving data quality, understanding of protocols, and participant retention.
Moreover, the DYNSEO agency, an expert in the development of digital health applications and digital therapies, supports laboratories and research teams in creating gamified solutions tailored to clinical trials. To learn more, discover our services on our website.
The various gamification tools used in clinical trials
Today, a wide range of gamification tools can be integrated into clinical trials to make the participant experience more engaging and interactive. The goal is to transform processes sometimes perceived as burdensome into motivating and stimulating activities.
Among the main tools available, we can mention:
Interactive mobile applications
They allow participants to:
track their progress through personalized dashboards,
receive automatic reminders for visits or medication intake,
participate in educational quizzes or mini-games related to their treatment.
E.g.: a game where each correct medication intake advances an avatar towards a final goal.
Collaborative online platforms
They provide virtual spaces to exchange with other participants, share experiences, and ask questions.
These communities create valuable social support, reducing the feeling of isolation often experienced during a clinical trial.
Visual elements and reward systems
Badges, virtual trophies, progress points… all these elements serve to celebrate participants' achievements.
E.g.: a participant can receive an “Attendance” badge for completing all steps of a month-long follow-up.
Augmented reality or virtual reality (AR/VR)
Although more recent, this technology offers immersive experiences to explain protocols or simulate certain stages of treatment, making the trial more concrete and less anxiety-inducing.
By combining several of these tools, we create a richer and more engaging user experience, which increases the chances of success for the study.
The impact of gamification on participant engagement and retention
Available data shows that gamification has a considerable positive impact on participant engagement and retention.
Improvement in retention rates
Clinical trials incorporating game elements often see a significant decrease in dropout rates.
Participants, more motivated and involved, follow the protocol to completion, ensuring the statistical validity of the results.
More active participation
Regular challenges or weekly goals encourage participants to stay engaged throughout the study.
This creates an emotional connection with the process, making participation more rewarding.
Increased quality of collected data
More invested participants complete questionnaires better, report side effects more accurately, and adhere more closely to instructions.
Result: more complete, accurate, and reliable data for researchers.
Better understanding of protocols
Interactive materials and educational mini-games allow patients to better assimilate medical information, reducing misunderstandings or adherence errors.
Ultimately, gamification not only makes clinical trials more attractive: it directly improves the scientific quality and effectiveness of studies, while providing a better experience for participants.
Success stories of gamification in clinical trials
We have several concrete examples that illustrate the success of gamification in clinical trials. For instance, a diabetes study used a mobile application that integrated daily challenges to encourage participants to follow their diet and physical activity. The results showed a significant improvement in treatment adherence and a reduction in glucose levels among participants.
Another example is a clinical trial on depression that used an interactive game to help participants manage their symptoms. Users could earn points by completing therapeutic exercises and participating in online discussions. This approach not only improved engagement but also led to a measurable reduction in depressive symptoms among participants.
Examples of concrete projects led by pharmaceutical laboratories
eCO AstraZeneca & Voluntis / Aptar Digital Health
In 2015, AstraZeneca collaborated with Voluntis (now Aptar Digital Health) to develop eCO, a companion app for women with ovarian cancer receiving a combined cediranib/olaparib treatment. This app aimed to assist in self-managing side effects, including hypertension and diarrhea, by allowing patients to track their symptoms at home and communicate this data remotely to medical teams PMCAptar Digital Health.Abilify MyCite Otsuka & Proteus Digital Health
Abilify MyCite is the first digital medication to be approved by the FDA. It is an Aripiprazole tablet (used notably for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) integrated with an ingestible sensor, which records the intake of the medication and transmits this information to a mobile application. This innovation aims to improve therapeutic adherence among patients whose adherence is often problematic WIRED+1.Rejoyn Otsuka America Pharmaceutical
The Rejoyn app, developed by Otsuka in the United States, was approved by the FDA in March 2024 as a digital medical device. Designed to support the treatment of major depressive disorders, it offers exercises based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and scheduled notifications to maintain patient engagement. Results from controlled studies showed superior efficacy compared to a placebo app MarketWatch+15Wikipedia+15sidekickhealth.com+15.Orexo Digital Therapies for Behavioral Disorders
The Swedish pharmaceutical company Orexo, in collaboration with GAIA, offers several clinically validated digital therapies:Vorvida (180 days, moderate alcohol use),
Deprexis (90 days, for depression),
MODIA (180 days, in the context of a medication assistance program for opioid-related disorders).
These solutions combine CBT and digital monitoring to support patients alongside traditional treatments Wikipedia.
Science 37 & decentralized clinical trials
Science 37 developed the NORA platform, which facilitates conducting "site-less" clinical trials (decentralized trials). It integrates video conferencing, electronic consent, home data collection, mobile nursing visits, and treatment delivery. Partnerships have been established with giants such as Novartis, Sanofi, or Otsuka to experiment with these new study formats Wikipedia+1.
| Project / Laboratory | Brief Description |
|---|---|
| eCO AstraZeneca & Aptar | Monitoring side effects of cancer treatment via companion app |
| Abilify MyCite Otsuka | Connected tablet with ingestible sensor to track medication intake |
| Rejoyn Otsuka | FDA-approved CBT app for major depression |
Vorvida, Deprexis, MODIA
|
The challenges and limits of gamification in this context
Despite its many advantages, gamification in clinical trials still raises several challenges that cannot be ignored. One of the first obstacles is technological accessibility. Not all patients have the same familiarity with digital tools, and some do not always have access to a smartphone, a stable internet connection, or even the skills necessary to use these platforms. As Sophie, the coordinator of a clinical trial on chronic diseases, points out: “We noticed that some older participants had difficulty installing the app and following the digital instructions. Without additional support, they would likely have dropped out of the study.”
Another challenge lies in participant motivation. If the playful elements are too focused on rewards, there is a risk that participants will focus on the game rather than the medical objectives of the trial. For example, a participant might alter their behavior to earn points or badges, even if this does not accurately reflect their health reality. Marc, a participant in a diabetes trial, confides: “I was so focused on the weekly ranking that I sometimes forgot the main goal was to be honest about my symptoms, even when they weren’t glorious.”
Finally, data protection remains a major concern. Gamified apps and platforms often collect a large amount of personal and medical information. Ensuring the security and confidentiality of this data is an ethical and regulatory imperative that requires robust systems and total transparency with participants.
These testimonies show that gamification, while effective in energizing participation, must be accompanied by a clear and inclusive framework to avoid pitfalls and ensure the scientific validity of clinical trials.
Overcoming the challenges of gamification in clinical trials
For gamification to fulfill all its promises without compromising the scientific quality of clinical trials, it is essential to implement solutions tailored to the various identified obstacles.
The first step is to ensure technological inclusivity. The applications and platforms used must be simple, intuitive, and compatible with a wide range of devices. Some teams even offer introductory sessions for participants who are not familiar with digital technology. As Julie, a coordinating nurse, recounts: “During our last trial, we organized a 30-minute training session before starting. Patients were much more comfortable using the app, and we saw fewer dropouts.”
Next, it is crucial to keep the medical objective at the heart of the playful process. Game mechanics should encourage engagement without biasing participants' behavior. For example, rather than rewarding only the amount of data entered, we can value the consistency and honesty of responses. Thomas, a clinical project manager, shares: “We removed competitive rankings because some participants felt discouraged. Instead, we introduced personal goals and congratulatory messages for consistency.”
The issue of data security and confidentiality remains central. Adopting systems compliant with international standards (such as GDPR in Europe or HIPAA in the United States) and establishing transparent communication with participants about the use of their data enhances trust and voluntary participation.
Finally, to ensure scientific validity, it is recommended to involve experts in psychology, ethics, and behavioral sciences from the design stage of gamified tools. Their expertise helps create playful experiences that motivate without compromising the integrity of the results.
By combining these measures, gamification can become a true lever for innovation in clinical research, while respecting the ethical and scientific principles that ensure the reliability of studies.
Ethical considerations related to the use of gamification in clinical trials
The use of gamification also raises several ethical questions that we must address carefully. For example, it is crucial that we ensure that the incentives offered do not compromise the informed consent of participants. We must ensure that they fully understand the implications of their participation and that they are not influenced by the desire to earn rewards.
Additionally, it is important to assess how gamification might affect participants' perception of risk. If certain activities are perceived as too fun or engaging, this could minimize the seriousness of the health-related stakes. We must therefore be transparent about the risks associated with clinical trials while integrating playful elements.
DYNSEO, your partner for the development of therapeutic monitoring applications and gamification
The agency DYNSEO specializes in creating innovative digital solutions for therapeutic monitoring and integrating gamification to enhance patient engagement. We work hand in hand with pharmaceutical laboratories, research centers, and healthcare professionals to design applications that combine scientific rigor with optimal user experience.
Among our flagship projects:
The LIVEMYBRAIN application: developed with neuroscience research laboratories, it integrates cognitive tests, rehabilitation exercises, and real-time data monitoring for patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Gamification makes rehabilitation more motivating, with weekly challenges and virtual rewards.
The COCO PENSE and COCO BOUGE program: an application for children combining educational games and regular physical breaks, already used in school and socio-medical contexts to promote concentration and well-being.
JOE, your brain coach: a platform for adults integrating cognitive assessments and personalized programs, where users progress through playful levels while tracking their performance over time.
Thanks to our expertise, we ensure custom development, regulatory compliance (GDPR, medical devices), and the integration of features such as real-time data tracking, smart notifications, and secure communication spaces between patients and caregivers.
Conclusion and future perspectives
In conclusion, gamification represents an exciting opportunity to improve participation and engagement in clinical trials. By transforming the process into an interactive and playful experience, we can not only attract more participants but also enhance the quality of the data collected. However, it is essential that we approach this method with caution, considering the challenges and ethical considerations that arise.
In the future, we should continue to explore how to effectively integrate gamification into our studies while ensuring that all patients feel included and respected. By collaborating with experts in technology and ethics, we can develop innovative solutions that will benefit all stakeholders involved in clinical research. Gamification could well be the key to transforming our approach to clinical trials and improving outcomes for all patients.
