During this week's #CMEchat on Twitter, I wondered if we could use some gamification elements to encourage healthcare professionals to engage in followup activities. I don't know about you, but I find activities with gaming elements pretty addictive, and I bet most of your HCPs do, too.
So I was interested in reading this post by Alyce Kuklinski, MSN, ANP, on Pri-Med's Off the Chart blog on "edutainment" and game-based educational formats. It sounds like Pri-Med is tip-toeing into using them, and why not? I remember going to an awesome session on just this topic at GAME a year or so ago, and wondering why more CME providers weren't experimenting with the concept. Or maybe you are? If so, I'd love to learn what you're doing and how.
Maybe the Alliance for CME will lead the charge and try some gamification on its own? Derek has some (pretty funny, I think) suggestions on how they can get started with an after-hours Outcomes Pecha Kucha game...
Update: I was just reminded by @CMEadvocate via Twitter than gamification elements can get corny quickly, and, as I noticed at the EventCamp Twin Cities hybrid conference this summer, they also can be pretty distracting.
If you've done it successfully, I'd love to know what worked (and what didn't), and how you went about figuring out what your specific learners would find compelling. As always, I'd love to hear from you via a comment here, e-mail, or even (gasp!) by phone—978-448-0377.
