Avatar-Based Serious Game for Cardiac Rehabilitation After Heart Attack
Effectiveness of an Avatar-Based Serious Game in Facilitating Transition to Cardiac Rehabilitation After Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Controlled Trial
1 other identifier
interventional
75
1 country
1
Brief Summary
This study looks at whether a tablet-based education game helps people recover better after a heart attack. When people leave the hospital after a heart attack, they are usually given advice about their medicines, follow-up visits, cardiac rehabilitation, and warning signs to watch for. Many people find it hard to remember all of this information later at home. In this study, adults who were treated in hospital for a heart attack were divided by chance into two groups. One group received the usual face-to-face education before going home. The other group used an interactive avatar-based education game on a tablet, in which a guide character walks the patient through the same topics. The game could also be used at home for one month after discharge. The researchers measured how much patients knew about their heart disease, their quality of life, whether they attended cardiac rehabilitation, and whether they were readmitted to hospital. These were checked before discharge and again at 1, 3, and 6 months. The goal is to learn whether the avatar-based game helps patients understand and manage their condition better than usual education.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable
Started Sep 2025
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
September 22, 2025
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
January 6, 2026
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
May 30, 2026
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
July 9, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
July 15, 2026
CompletedJuly 16, 2026
July 1, 2026
4 months
July 9, 2026
July 15, 2026
Conditions
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Coronary artery disease knowledge (CADE-Q II)
Disease-related knowledge measured with the Coronary Artery Disease Education Questionnaire II (CADE-Q II), a 31-item instrument scored 0-93, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge.
Post-intervention and at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge
Secondary Outcomes (1)
Health-related quality of life (HeartQoL)
Post-intervention and at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge
Study Arms (2)
Control group
ACTIVE COMPARATORAvatar-based education group
EXPERIMENTALInterventions
Tablet-based, avatar-guided discharge education application structured around Coleman's Care Transitions Intervention model (medication management, personal health record, follow-up continuity, and recognition of warning signs), delivered through interactive, persona-adapted, scenario-based gameplay before discharge and accessible for one month afterwards.
Standard face-to-face discharge education delivered individually by the principal investigator before discharge, covering medication management, personal health record keeping, follow-up continuity and cardiac rehabilitation, and recognition of warning signs.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Confirmed ST-elevation or non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction during the current admission or within the preceding three months, including patients readmitted for revascularization (percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting)
- Planned discharge to home
- Able to operate a tablet computer or a smart phone
- Provided written informed consent
You may not qualify if:
- Insufficient Turkish-language proficiency to engage with the application or study procedures
- Severe comorbidity precluding engagement in lifestyle behaviour change or exercise
- Significant cognitive or visual impairment
- Concurrent enrolment in another interventional study
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Suleyman Demirel University
Isparta, Turkey (Türkiye)
Related Publications (1)
doi.org/10.1093/ehjdh/ztaf036
BACKGROUND
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- SINGLE
- Who Masked
- OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
- Purpose
- SUPPORTIVE CARE
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Asst Prof
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
July 9, 2026
First Posted
July 15, 2026
Study Start
September 22, 2025
Primary Completion
January 6, 2026
Study Completion
May 30, 2026
Last Updated
July 16, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-07
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
Individual participant data will not be shared publicly to protect participant privacy and in accordance with the approval conditions of the ethics committee and the informed consent obtained from participants. De-identified data may be made available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.