A video game developed by Pittsburgh-based UPMC and University of Pittsburgh researchers helped emergency physicians make more accurate trauma triage decisions for severely injured older adults than standard education.
The study, published April 20 in JAMA, followed 800 physicians at nontrauma centers across the U.S. for one year beginning in 2024. Half of the participants were assigned to play a trauma-focused video game, “Night Shift,” for two hours initially and then for 20 minutes quarterly, while the other half continued with required continuing education courses.
Participants who played the game had lower undertriage rates, 49% compared to 57% among those who did not, with no increase in overtriage.
The video game was developed by researchers at UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh in collaboration with a Pittsburgh-based game development company. It places players in the role of an emergency physician making rapid decisions about trauma patients in high-pressure scenarios, incorporating storytelling and timed puzzles to reinforce clinical judgment.
The study suggests the game may help physicians adjust ingrained decision-making patterns, often referred to as heuristics, by allowing them to learn from simulated experiences without risk to real patients. Researchers found that adherence to trauma triage guidelines improved most within 30 days of gameplay, though the effect diminished over time without continued exposure.
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