By Susanne Togeby, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.  
Photo: Signe Pedersen, Department of Sustainability and Planning

In the first round of the game, nurses, doctors, and other regional and municipal actors look somewhat sceptically at their fellow players. The sceptical atmosphere is due to the perception that each person is doing their best in their daily tasks, while 'the others' seem to act irrationally and avoid taking responsibility for patients, who end up being tossed around in the system. 
 
In their daily work, they see the healthcare system from their own perspectives, but today they are playing on the same team. It's an eye-opener. During the game, for example, they realize that the patient has the same blood samples taken twice. The process is not optimal, and unnecessary resources are being used. This situation is fictional but reflects some of the most current challenges in the healthcare system, including a lack of cohesion and unclear responsibilities. 

Digital technologies as part of the solution 

In the second round, technology pieces are added to the game board. They represent existing solutions such as a diabetes bag and a Shared Medication Record. The game is now about how to optimize and how to develop a unified solution.  
 
The game, called 'InterPlay', has been developed by Associate Professors Signe Pedersen and Søsser Brodersen with assistance from PhD student Nanna Finne Skovrup from the Department of Sustainability and Planning at Aalborg University. The purpose is to promote collaboration between healthcare professionals and support the use of digital health technologies such as telemedicine, where a patient can have a consultation with a doctor via iPad. Signe Pedersen emphasizes that it is not necessarily about new technologies. 
 
"We shouldn't digitalize just for the sake of digitalizing—it should happen when it makes sense. But practically speaking, we can save both time and CO2 by using digital technologies like telemedicine, where transportation can be avoided and, for example, have a consultation in the middle of the working day," says Signe Pedersen. 

Fictional Chaos Leads to Aha Moments 

According to the researcher, there is a significant difference between the first and second rounds of the game: 
 
"During the game, 'us-and-them' becomes 'we'. The game helps build relationships, and relationships are incredibly important in collaboration. This is necessary because of the lack of cohesion in our healthcare system today. I'm so happy when I hear participants say, 'We can just change that; we can actually do that tomorrow'." 
 
The game involves both patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals who must solve fictional situations involving citizens with many different diseases. Signe Pedersen explains that the characters in the game are caricatured, creating particularly interesting situations. When the game boards are later hung up with all the different interactions drawn on them, it's clear how many different professions need to collaborate and how chaotic it can be. 
 
In their latest recommendations, the Health Structure Commission emphasises that health services must be closer to citizens and more integrated across sectors. According to Signe Pedersen, the game highlights conditions that the participants do not think about in everyday life, and that they may have different perceptions of the same situation. That's why there are a lot of these aha experiences like "Okay, don't you do that?" It helps to show what the biggest problems are, but can also create ideas and point out directions for decision-makers, she says. The game's output can weigh heavily because so many different players participate in the game.   
 
The Health Structure Commission's latest recommendations emphasize that healthcare services should be closer to citizens and more integrated across sectors. According to Signe Pedersen, the game highlights issues that the participants do not think about in their daily work and that there may be different perceptions of the same situation. That's why there are many aha moments, like "Okay, you don't do it that way?" It helps to identify the biggest problems, but it can also spark ideas and point out directions for decision-makers, she says. The game's output can be significant because so many different actors are involved. 

Adapting to Reality 

The health game was originally developed for a conference but has since been further developed for the healthcare system in North Jutland to reflect regional challenges, needs, and resources. This makes the game more realistic for the participants because they can recognize their own work routines. According to Signe Pedersen, this contributes to the game making a real difference. 
 
Although the game is about North Jutland, it is easy to adapt to other regions. The gameplay allows for scenarios and content to be adjusted to fit other regions local needs and challenges. For instance, new pieces can easily be added.