Supportive Technologies and Videogames for Pediatric Hospital Patients: A scoping review

Hospitalization has been identified as stress-inducing event that potentially contributes to depression and anxiety among children, particularly when the duration of hospital stay is prolonged. This scoping review seeks to identify the role of videogames and other interactive technology in reducing stress and promoting well-being, exploring the specific considerations for developing videogames for in-patient children and focusing on understanding various outcomes with different types of interactive technologies. The databases used in this research were ACM, PubMed, Wiley Library, yielding a total of 90 articles. Following the application of exclusion criteria 7 articles were selected for analysis. It is noteworthy that many of the included articles exhibit limitations, such as restricted study durations and a small number of participants. Addressing these limitations is crucial for establishing the long-term efficacy of interactive technology and videogames in promoting the well-being of in-patient children.