“We started just trying to get him out of the room to do something active because it gets a little depressing while you are in the hospital for a lengthy stay,” said Jennifer Griggs of her 11-year-old son who receives treatment for an inoperable brain tumor at CS Mott’s.
“It’s a fun way to encourage patients to be mobile,” said J.J. Bouchard, digital media manager at the hospital, according to the report. “This app is getting patients out of beds and moving around.”
Pokémon GO, the augmented reality game that accesses a smartphone’s GPS and camera to allow players to search for more than 100 Pokémon creatures in their own surroundings, has already proven effective for increasing people’s movement. Since it was released July 6, fitness tracking apps have found the game has significantly increased users’ daily exercise.
Mr. Bouchard said there are several “Pokestops” — where users collect items they can use — in the hospital, as well as “gyms” — larger landmarks that users battle to control, according to the report. Patients playing the game often stop to help each other pose for pictures with the Pokémon characters, which are only visible on a phone.
The hospital, aware that other facilities have experienced problems with crowds playing the game, has placed signs in front of hot spots. Signs include text such as, “This is a Pokémon hot spot. Take a picture, but don’t take a picture of someone who is not in your family,” Mr. Bouchard told USA Today.
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