The Gamification Of The Clinical Trials Process

Will Buckley, DrugDev

With the Disruptive Innovations conference around the corner we thought it’d be fun to take a look at how games and the gaming culture are scoring points in the world of clinical trials. Oh no, I hear you groan, how can it be? Isn’t it enough that our kids already want to spend every waking moment on games? Well, there are several key elements of games – critical and creative thinking, strategy, memory, achievements, competition, hand-eye coordination and more – that can make a real difference in clinical trials. Here are three examples of how gaming is changing the playing field in a positive fashion for both patients and industry professionals.

The most obvious target for gaming in clinical trials would of course be young people. Boston-based startup Akili Interactive Labs aims to flip that script with Project: Evo, a gaming app aimed at identifying people with a high risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Earlier this year Pfizer partnered with Akili on a clinical trial, that began in March, to determine whether Project: Evo can do just this.