Serious Games for Health Professions Education: A Review of Transfer to Practice

Authors

  • Bertram-J Fuchsluger Centre for Game-Based Learning, Steirische Eisenstrasse Institute of Learning Technologies, Eisenerz, Austria Author
  • Ivan-Marek Antalovic Department of Vocational Education, Zemplin Institute of Learning Technologies, Michalovce, Slovakia Author
  • Fani-Ver Draganov-Yor Centre for Learning Sciences, Zlatni Institute of Learning Technologies, Kavarna, Bulgaria Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22694743

Keywords:

Serious Games for Health Professions Education; Educational technology; E-learning; Evidence synthesis; Research methodology

Abstract

There is real interest in serious games for health professions education right now, and real uncertainty about exactly where it
delivers the most value. We pull together the current evidence for serious games for health professions education, covering the
methodological, practical, regulatory and cost angles, with an eye on where practice has genuinely settled and where researchers
and reviewers are still largely working it out for themselves. Selective, context-specific pursuit looks better supported by the
evidence gathered here than either broad rollout or blanket avoidance.

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Alvez D, Dumitrescu A, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a benchmark study". Computers in Human Behavior 28(2020): 410-419. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1699005

Brankovic K, Kowalczyk B, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a systematic review". Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 30(2023): 421-431. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1834800

Castellani R, Ristic C, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a comparative analysis". Distance Education 32(2014): 432-443. DOI: 10.2196/69678

Dumitrescu A, Andric D, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a pilot demonstration". Journal of Educational Psychology 34(2017): 443-455. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.46454

Eriksdottir B, Brankovic E, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a longitudinal field study". Instructional Science 36(2020): 454-467. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2025.107028

Farkas I, Ionescu F, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a feasibility study". Educational Technology & Society 38(2023): 465-479. DOI: 10.2196/48633

Grabowski P, Petrescu G, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a case study". International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 40(2014): 476-482. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305949

Hendriksen W, Wojcik H, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a meta-analysis". Learning, Media and Technology 42(2017): 487-494. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000514

Ionescu F, Foscarini I, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a cross-platform survey". Journal of Research on Technology in Education 44(2020): 498-506. DOI: 10.17219/acem/208596

Jankowiak G, Grabowski J, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a methods-comparison study". American Educational Research Journal 46(2023): 509-518. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.104086

Kowalczyk N, Novotna K, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a benchmark study". Review of Educational Research 8(2014): 520-530. DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00852-5

Lindqvist U, Urbanek L, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a systematic review". Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence 10(2017): 531-542. DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2022.09.004

Marchetti D, Doncheva M, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a comparative analysis". Journal of Educational Computing Research 12(2020): 542-554. DOI: 10.1177/08404704241291226

Novotna E, Eriksdottir N, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a pilot demonstration". Interactive Learning Environments 14(2023): 553-566. DOI: 10.1093/medlaw/fwad013

Ostrowski L, Lindqvist O, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a longitudinal field study". Education and Information Technologies 16(2014): 564-578. DOI: 10.2196/89834

Petrescu S, Szabo P, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a feasibility study". The Journal of Higher Education 18(2017): 575-581. DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02104-9

Quintero B, Balogh Q, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a case study". Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 20(2020): 586-593. DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1896184

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Andric V, Vasquez A, et al. "Serious Games for Health Professions Education: a longitudinal field study". The Internet and Higher Education 36(2020): 674-680. DOI: 10.2196/69678

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Published

2025-03-23

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): vol 4 issue 1 2025

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