Feeding the Flame, One Day at a Time: Design and Acceptability of a Serious Game to Support Medication Adherence and Education for Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Patients

Conditions

• Solid Organ Transplant

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

7 Years - 17 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Mystic Wizard — BEHAVIORAL
  Mystic Wizards is a tablet-based serious game intervention designed to support medication understanding, self-efficacy, and health engagement among pediatric solid organ transplant recipients. The game uses a narrative fantasy framework in which players assume the role of a young wizard entrusted with a "Legacy Flame" representing their transplanted organ. Daily medications are represented as "potions" required to maintain the strength and stability of the Flame. The intervention includes short narrative sequences, interactive mini-games, visual feedback systems, and avatar customization features designed to reinforce medication routines and promote empowerment in a developmentally appropriate manner. Participants complete a single gameplay session lasting approximately 10-12 minutes on a tablet device during their inpatient hospitalization, followed by brief surveys and a semi-structured interview.

Study Details

Children and teenagers who receive a solid organ transplant (such as a kidney, liver, or heart) must take medications every day to keep their new organ healthy. Taking these medications correctly and on time is one of the most important parts of staying well after a transplant, but it can be hard for young patients to understand why this matters and to keep up with their routines. Doctors and nurses usually teach patients about their transplant through conversations, which may not always be engaging or easy for kids to remember. This study looks at a new way to help young transplant patients learn about their condition and their medications: an educational game played on a tablet. The purpose of the study is to find out what patients think of the game and how well it works for them. Researchers want to know whether young patients find the game acceptable and enjoyable, whether it is easy to use, whether it makes them feel motivated and capable, and how engaged they feel while playing. To do this, patients will play the tablet game and then share their experiences. After playing, they will take part in a small group interview where they talk about what they liked, what was confusing, and whether the game helped them understand their transplant and medications. They will also fill out short questionnaires about how easy the game was to use and how engaging it felt. The researchers' hypothesis is that pediatric solid organ transplant patients will find the educational tablet-based game acceptable, easy to use, and engaging, and that it will be a welcome and helpful tool for learning about their transplant care. The findings will help guide whether this kind of game could be used to support transplant education for children and teens.

Key Dates

First listed

May 27, 2026

Start date

Aug 17, 2026

Status verified

Sep 2026

Primary completion

Jul 16, 2027

Completion

Jul 16, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment

15 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

• Experimental: Solid organ transplant recipient

Primary Outcome Measure

Determine the acceptability the tablet-based game among solid transplant patient. [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention ]

Central Contacts

• Amrita Narang, MD
  (650) 721-2250
  [email protected]
• Thomas Caruso, MD, PhD
  650-723-5728
  [email protected]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Palo Alto, CA

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