ORCID

Abstract

Approximately 2% of the population are people with intellectual disability (PwID). PwID are prone to multimorbidity, polypharmacy and premature mortality. Constipation is a prevalent and life-threatening issue for PwID fostered by iatrogenic harm, ignorance and stigma in family, and health and care settings. Despite its clinical significance, educational tools targeting caregivers’ knowledge of constipation prevention and management in PwID are scarce. Serious games (SGs) offer a novel and engaging platform to educate carers and reduce health stigma. Poo manager was collaboratively designed by a team of clinicians, academics, game developers and people with lived experience. The game involves navigating a care home, identifying constipation risk factors and selecting appropriate management strategies through evidence-based gameplay. A co-production workshop involving PwID, their carers and clinicians provided feedback on gameplay. Evaluation was conducted using validated measures to examine intervention acceptability, appropriateness and adoption feasibility. Over 60% found the SG enjoyable and believed it could improve constipation management knowledge. Scores demonstrated high acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility, though some concerns around game usability were noted. Poo manager is a promising SG intervention with strong potential to enhance constipation care for PwID. Further development and formal effectiveness evaluation are warranted to ensure impact on clinical outcomes.

Publication Date

2025-11-03

Publication Title

Healthcare Technology Letters

Volume

12

Issue

1

Acceptance Date

2025-09-30

Deposit Date

2025-11-05

Funding

RS developed the non‐commercial and free to use SUDEP and Seizure Safety Checklist and the EpSMon app to reduce the risk of SUDEP and enhance seizure safety. RS is the chief Investigator of the NIHR adopted national Ep‐ID register. The Register is supported and monitored by the National Institute of Health Research UK. The funding for each molecule examined by the Register is via an Investigator Initiated Support grant from each of the molecule's parent company. The funding is to RS's NHS institution and goes towards the salary of the research coordinator and the institution's project oversight costs. The contributing companies till date include Eisai, UCB, Bial, Jazz pharma (previously GW pharma) and Angelini. This work sits outside the submitted work. In addition to the above RS has received institutional research, travel support and/or honorarium for talks and expert advisory boards from LivaNova, UCB, Eisai, Neuraxpharm, Veriton Pharma, Bial, Angelini, UnEEG and Jazz/GW pharma outside the submitted work. He holds or has held competitive grants from various national grant bodies including Innovate, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC), National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), NHS Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) and other funding bodies including charities all outside this work. No other author has any declared conflict of interest related to this paper. RL has been Chief Investigator for clinical trials sponsored by Janssen and Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work. There is no direct disclosure or conflict of interest for any author for this submitted body of work. The authors have nothing to report. The authors would like to thank the students of Cornwall College who undertook the game development as their project.

Keywords

biomedical communication, biomedical education, computer based training, health care, medical disorders

Download

Share

COinS