Let's Control Flu: the use of gamification in health decision-making for flu vaccination. Application to new countries
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Catholic University of Portugal, Portugal
Publication date: 2023-04-27
Popul. Med. 2023;5(Supplement):A1584
ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: The “Let’s Control Flu” (LCF) is an interactive digital tool designed to simulate the impact of public health policies (PHP) on influenza vaccination coverage rates (VCR). It adopts a gamification approach to support decision-making processes on influenza vaccination by testing the relative effects of PHP in specific population segments and providing clues for the optimization of policy decision-making. It, therefore, helps to support the World Health Organization’s milestone of having 75% of European target populations vaccinated against influenza by 2030. The application to the pilot country and the project’s methodology were presented at the European Health Forum Gastein and World Health Summit conferences in 2022. Methods: The LCF tool is the first quantitative research to apply Kassianos’ model, utilizing 13 of the originally proposed 42 PHP while maintaining the 5-pillar structure. The tool creates scenarios within a 10-year time horizon demonstrating what could be averted in seven pre-determined outputs (influenza infections, hospitalizations, flu-related GP visits, workdays/productivity loss, flu-related deaths, hospitalizations due to cardiovascular diseases, and deaths due to cardiovascular diseases) in five key-target groups: children, elderly, pregnant women, healthcare workers, and high-risk populations. Results: The tool was successfully applied to Sweden (https://letscontrolflu.com [1]). It is currently in expansion to regions in Italy and Germany, as well as to the Czech Republic, with the results of this phase being presented for the first time, if approved, at the 17th World Congress on Public Health. Conclusions: Gamification is a useful approach to bridging the gap between science, policy-makers, and patient advocacy organizations, merging epidemiology and health policies in a single and democratic solution. Through digitalization, the LCF tool enables quicker and more secure decision-making in health policies and helps promote health education among populations, paving the way for a safer and healthier future for all (https://vimeo.com/user129422763/review/751589991/dff2ecd410 [2]). Links:------[1] https://letscontrolflu.com/[2] https://vimeo.com/user129422763/review/751589991/dff2ecd410