The inappropriate use of antibiotics is a problem of considerable dimension and scope with a significant impact on individual and community health, poorer treatment outcomes, unnecessary adverse effects and negative economic impacts. The current complexity in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases makes it essential to establish antimicrobial optimisation programmes, known as PROAs (programmes for optimising the use of antibiotics). Given the need to transmit the culture of optimal use of antimicrobials, to raise awareness of the risks of adverse effects and to recognise the key aspects of decision-making in the use of these drugs, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital developed and launched PlayProa in 2020: a gamified platform containing 15 clinical cases which serves to teach and train professionals in the use of antimicrobials in paediatric patients. This pioneering project has been carried out in collaboration with ONPLUS, a company specialising in the implementation of learning strategies using new technologies.

PlayProa is an initiative of Vall d’Hebron’s PROA-NEN team. This team, which is comprised of 17 professionals from the fields of Paediatrics, Pharmacy and Microbiology, has been promoting good clinical practices in the use of antibiotics since 2015. PROA-NEN promoted this programme of gamified training activities that was launched in 2020 for residents and doctors in the fields of Paediatrics, Pharmacy and Microbiology at Vall d’Hebron, who have been able to play it for the last two years. This has allowed them to develop their skills and knowledge, with a prize being given to the person who set the best score. Given the success of the initiative, a decision has been made to make it available to other professionals and medical societies in Spain and Latin America specialising in the fields of paediatrics, immunology, microbiology, infectious diseases and those with an interest in the subject, helping to ensure good practices in the use of antimicrobials. PlayProa is a technological product whose intellectual and industrial property is protected. The platform is available in different languages and can be customised with the desired corporate identity. The income derived from the use of this platform (registrations, purchase of licences for use) will go to the Infection in Immunosuppressed Paediatric Patients research group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR).

“Our commitment to gamification allows knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of paediatric infectious diseases to be consolidated much better and thus ensures correct clinical practice,” explains Dr Pere Soler, head of the Paediatric Infectious Pathology and Immunodeficiency Unit at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and head of the Infection in Immunosuppressed Paediatric Patients research group at the VHIR. On the other hand, “this activity forms part of our efforts to incorporate immersive and innovative training tools into our teaching strategy,” says Dr Mónica Rodríguez, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital teaching director.

The programme entails 15 different activities, each with a clinical case that is resolved in under an hour. In each clinical case, actors present a clinical scenario that the user has to solve by means of questionnaires and tests. The participant receives points for making the correct decisions, with the aim of climbing positions in the overall rankings. In this way, the platform provides an innovative experience based on different stories featuring a team of doctors and specialists that make the learning experience much more natural and effective.

PlayProa is endorsed by the Catalan Society of Paediatrics and the Spanish Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and has received the ‘Ruta de la Innovación’ award from the Catalan Society of Clinical Pharmacy, as well as an Educational Grant from Gilead.