Computer Gaming as a Learning Environment for Health Care Management,

Policymaking, and Emergency Preparedness

Presentation at Games for Health Conference

Boston, Massachusetts June 12, 2009

Gary B. Hirsch

Consultant, Creator of Learning Environments

7 Highgate Road, Wayland, Massachusetts 01778 USA

GBHirsch@comcast.net

www.GaryBHirsch.com

1-508-653-0161

Overview

• The Value of Simulation Games as Learning Environments

• Health Care Case Examples– Health Care Management Microworld– Health Reform Policy Simulator– Pandemic Simulators for Emergency Preparedness

• Designing the Learning Experience

• Current and Future Development

Models...

• Help Us– Describe the Structure of Complex Systems– Understand Relationship Between Structure and Behavior– Ask “What if?” Questions Using a Consistent Framework

• But It’s Hard to Convey Understanding of Complex Systems Through Static Means Like Power Point Presentations; Interactive Demos Are Better, But...

• Much of the Learning Still Remains in the Head of the Model Builder

• Managers Need a Means of Exploring the System Themselves and Constructing Their Own Understanding

• Simulation Games Utilize a Model, Interface, and Well-Thought Out Learning Experience to Give Them This Capability

Why a Simulation Game?

• Engage Decision Makers and – Let Them Test and Deepen Their Understanding by

Experimenting with Their Own Strategies– Help to Convey Real Intuition About How the System Works– Enable Them to Understand of Strategic Implications of Their

Actions Including Unintended Consequences– Appreciate the Importance of Systemic Thinking--In General

and Especially About Their Own Problems– Develop Shared Understanding at Multiple Organizational

Levels– Generate Excitement About Learning

• Remove the Model Builder as a Middleman--It’s Not Necessary to Interpret “What the Model is Saying”

• Enable Experiential Learning Through a High Level of Engagement

Examples of Other Simulation Games

• Health Care Delivery and Community Health Status; Dealing with Change in Health Systems

• Newspapers Transitioning to the Internet

• Microfinance Institutions

• School Reform

• Simulators for Teaching Physics and Economics

• Port Operations and Effects of New Security Measures

Health Care Microworld Case Example

• Health Care Was Changing Rapidly – Payment Shifting from Fee-for-Service to Capitation– Organization Structure Moving to Vertically Integrated Systems– Greatly Increased Competition– Horizontal Mergers

Managers Needed to Understand How to Manage Differently and a “Practice Field” to Reduce Risk to Their Organizations

• Overall Objectives--Improve:– Understanding, Set Stage for Strategic Planning– Strategic Thinking e.g., See the Importance of Making Investments

Over Time Rather Than Fire Fighting– Systems Thinking Skills--Overcome Departmental Stovepipe Mentality

and Focus on Own Roles; Appreciate Big Picture

• Opportunity to Shape New Ways of Working Together--Neutral Turf Created by Hypothetical Situation

Modular Design…Work with Subsystems or Whole System

Primary Care

Specialty Care

Acute Hospitaland Outpatient

Care

Nursing Homes

Home Care

Care DeliveryImprovements

Demand forCare

Low SymptomChronic

SubacuteChronic

DependentChronic

Acute IllnessPreventive

Interventions

NewCases

Social Risk

Social andBehavioral

Interventions

Deaths

Chronic IllnessMaintenance

Population Sizeand Age Mix

Births

Health Care Delivery System

Population, Illness Rates, and Interventions

Pre-Configured Strategies Allow for Gradual Introduction

Role Playing Helps Teach Lessons About Collaboration

Roles/System Components

Network-Level Strategies

Each Role Makes Its Own Decisions Subject to Resource Constraints

Resource Constraints

Network Decisions Provide Opportunity for Collaborative Strategies

Carefully Selected Performance Measures Give Users Balanced View of Their Strategies

Decisions

Performance Measures

Users Can Set Goals for Each of the Performance Objectives

Comparisons of Selected Variables Across Simulations Let Users Identify Consequences of Strategies

Performance Measures

Users Can Then “Drill Down” to Understand Why Strategies Produce the Results That Are Observed

System Components

Decision Support

Performance Measures

Detailed Information Helps Explain Causes of Behavior and Pinpoint Problems with Strategies

Having Data in Multiple Formats Supports Different Learning Styles

Status Reports and Help Screens Improve Ease of Use

Sensitivity Analyses Let Users Change Assumptions and Appreciate Need for Robust Strategies

HealthBound Policy Simulation Game

• Developed for the CDC• Move Health Reform debate away from single-focus issues

such as universal coverage toward more systemic view• Move attention “upstream” to make sure debate includes

health protection and prevention rather than just treating illness

• Make people aware of possible unintended consequences, policy resistance, and other systemic effects of proposed measures

• Provide a practice field for engaging people in the process, make them more than just passive observers

Causal Relationships Underlying HealthBound Game

Decisions Available to Players of HealthBound Game

Scorecard View of Results with Insurance Coverage and Quality Improvement

Detailed Results That Help Explain Unexpected Outcome

Alternate View of Results: Progress Report

Emergency Preparedness: Pandemic Simulation Game

• Developed as part of Critical Infrastructure Protection —Decision Support System (CIPDSS) project carried out by Sandia, Los Alamos, and Argonne National Labs for the US Department of Homeland Security

• Based on a Metropolitan-level simulation model developed by Los Alamos National Lab

• Advanced state-of-the-art over “tabletop” exercises by providing feedback to actions taken by players

• Designed to provide a forum for the multiple services that would have to respond to a pandemic

Emergency Preparedness: Pandemic Simulation Game

• Pilot –tested in Boston in October, 2007• Game scaled to Boston population, number of

hospital beds• Workshop included participants from a broad range

of services in state and local agencies-played in two teams of eight.

• Game found to have real value, especially for encouraging dialogue among people who will have to cooperate in a real pandemic

• Also had value for helping people visualize and quantify the effects of decisions they will have to make

Overview Screen

Health Care Dashboard

Vaccine Interventions Available to Players

Quarantine Options Available

Design Considerations--The Learning Experience (1)

• Keep Introduction Short– Why a Systemic View? Use Simple Example– Case Material– Brief Outline of Day

• Get “Hands On” Quickly– Make the “Tour” Interactive– Use Pre-configured Strategies to Practice the Desired Way of

Thinking• Anticipate Behavior• Articulate Hypotheses• Use Results to Understand What Happened, Especially

Surprises– Group Debrief, Facilitation to Share Learning

Design Considerations--The Learning Experience (2)

• Free Play to Craft and Test Broader Set of Strategies; Allow Open Choice of Strategy or Use Pre-Configured Strategy as Starting Point

• Make Time for Multiple Iterations, Periodic Debriefings, Sensitivity Analyses

• Multiple Modes of Play for Different Audiences--Make It Possible to Do Something Useful in Shorter Time Period

• Discuss Application Back to Organization--Implications for:– Learning Needs– Strategy– Data

• Make Embedded Archetypes Explicit; Provide Archetypes and Templates as “Take-Away’s” for Immediate Application

Current and Future Development of Health Management Games

• Richer, more immersive experiences—better graphics and audio-visuals

• Games customizable to user environments– Population served– Health problems– Resources available– Environment and constraints that affect the population’s

health and health care

•Being developed by Simquest LLC

•Tool to develop strategic plans and practice response tactics

•Targeted toward medical treatment facility administrators

•Practice local mitigation strategies

•Manage surge and while providing standard levels of care

Next Generation Pandemic Planning Game

Dashboard

Media Monitor

Resources

More Examples and Information at:

www.GaryBHirsch.com