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Child Study Center Grand Rounds 04.13.21

June 08, 2021

Extended Reality (XR) in Health and Medicine: What is the Reality?

ID
6695

Transcript

  • 00:00Welcome everyone. Rebecca Kennedy
  • 00:03and I are delighted to welcome into
  • 00:05today's grand rounds and we'll get into
  • 00:08introducing our speaker in a second.
  • 00:09But I just want to tell you.
  • 00:13Some of the coming events.
  • 00:16How 2 weeks from today?
  • 00:19Very home Wendy Silverman,
  • 00:21who hopefully all of you have met and
  • 00:24then so you happen you will become.
  • 00:27When the who's your friend Mr Professor here?
  • 00:29The Child Study Center is
  • 00:32World world renowned?
  • 00:33Expert in anxiety disorders in
  • 00:35childhood and we're going to hear
  • 00:38from her latest and greatest.
  • 00:40So that's two weeks from today.
  • 00:42One week from today,
  • 00:44we're going to have the 13th annual.
  • 00:47Sam and Lucille Ritvo lecture.
  • 00:50So you saw the whole series of events,
  • 00:54so that's going to be posted.
  • 00:56It goes from Tuesday,
  • 00:58Wednesday, and Friday,
  • 00:59an on Tuesday for grand rounds were
  • 01:01going to have actually right before grand
  • 01:04rounds next week from 11:30 to 12:30.
  • 01:06Our trainees in psychology and
  • 01:08psychiatry are going to be meeting
  • 01:11with our speaker and then the lecture
  • 01:14is going to be from one to two.
  • 01:16As always,
  • 01:17our speaker is Donna Harris.
  • 01:19She is a social work.
  • 01:21Social worker who we met once earlier as
  • 01:25she talked to us about race relations,
  • 01:29racism, anti racism.
  • 01:30And her grand rounds is an important
  • 01:34title and an important topic.
  • 01:36Healing from racial trauma.
  • 01:38So that will be next week,
  • 01:41and then there's going to be more
  • 01:43that evening at the New England
  • 01:46Institute for Psychoanalysis.
  • 01:47She will be talking about racialized,
  • 01:50enactments in the clinical
  • 01:51setting on Wednesday,
  • 01:52again at the New England she will
  • 01:55talk about the impact of racism and
  • 01:57internalized racism on clinical training,
  • 02:00and finally on Friday from three to four
  • 02:03again at the New England Institute.
  • 02:06We'll be talking about racial identity
  • 02:09development in psychodynamic treatment,
  • 02:10and although all of these are between here
  • 02:13and the CHILD Study Center, guess what?
  • 02:15It's pandemic time,
  • 02:16so it's all unzoom.
  • 02:18So if people are interested in joining,
  • 02:20we will make that information available.
  • 02:22And we're very grateful to the Ritvo
  • 02:25siblings we have been supporting us for.
  • 02:2813th year in the memory of their their
  • 02:31parents and are very dear salmon Lucille,
  • 02:33who many of us knew.
  • 02:35So that's the next coming two weeks today.
  • 02:38Rebecca Kennedy didn't know it,
  • 02:40but she's gonna be my.
  • 02:45Something as we introduce today's speaker
  • 02:47and I'm really very excited about the
  • 02:50grounds that we have a plan for today.
  • 02:52Kim Heath check.
  • 02:53Did I pronounce it right, Kim?
  • 02:56Keep she hit yeah he yeah he pia coast
  • 02:59yeah we're working on it Kim hit yeah
  • 03:02and that is the Belgian pronunciation.
  • 03:04His chair is a Dutch pronunciation.
  • 03:07We were talking about this Kim.
  • 03:09I'm just going to call her Kim
  • 03:11and Kim is a colleague who I
  • 03:13have not known for centuries and
  • 03:16decades like many of my friends.
  • 03:18But just for a couple of months.
  • 03:21And we serendipitously met through
  • 03:23the work that we both do in simulation
  • 03:26and she was introduced to me.
  • 03:28By the director of the Pediatric
  • 03:30Simulation Lab a couple of months
  • 03:32ago and that was really the
  • 03:34beginning of a beautiful friendship
  • 03:36and in a wonderful collaboration,
  • 03:38Kim will be telling us today about
  • 03:41the work that she's such a pioneer,
  • 03:44an important person and which
  • 03:46is in games gaming,
  • 03:47bringing games to health in general,
  • 03:49and certainly psychiatry and
  • 03:51Chelsea country in particular today.
  • 03:54And before I let Rebecca say some nice
  • 03:57things about our collaborator and friend,
  • 03:59Kim,
  • 04:00I want to also put another emphasis here.
  • 04:03You know,
  • 04:03we're all child mental health providers,
  • 04:06psychiatrist, psychologist,
  • 04:06social workers.
  • 04:07We know that games play are what
  • 04:10make children children.
  • 04:11You know that is their job description.
  • 04:13They play, they do games.
  • 04:16And it took me to get to this old
  • 04:19age to know that there is such
  • 04:21a thing as gaming for health.
  • 04:24In fact,
  • 04:25if you didn't know that if you
  • 04:27were just as naive and I as I was,
  • 04:29you probably also did know that there
  • 04:31is a journal called Games for Health.
  • 04:34You didn't know that?
  • 04:35Well,
  • 04:35let me tell you what you're in good company,
  • 04:38because the editor in chief of that
  • 04:40journal is with us today and that is Kim.
  • 04:43So before we let we unleash Kim to teach
  • 04:45us and share exciting stuff with us.
  • 04:47Rebecca Committee,
  • 04:48I know I've given you lots of time
  • 04:50to prepare your prepared comments.
  • 04:52OK for Kim, so please take it away.
  • 04:55Thank you Andres and it actually probably
  • 04:57appropriate to be put on the spot
  • 05:00'cause I only have the most wonderful
  • 05:02things to say about Kim knowing her,
  • 05:04even though shorter while.
  • 05:05Then Andre says that was introduced
  • 05:07to Kim recently by Doctor Martin
  • 05:09and in some collaborative efforts
  • 05:11with Lori Cardone as well,
  • 05:12and thinking about building
  • 05:14on our systems of care here.
  • 05:15And I think I've I've learned so much
  • 05:18in such a short period of time with
  • 05:20Kim's work and thinking about how we can
  • 05:23really kind of take this incredible.
  • 05:25Advance work that she's doing in
  • 05:27gaming and apply with a lot of
  • 05:29our evidence based treatments.
  • 05:30An interesting Lee,
  • 05:31and kind of putting a plug.
  • 05:33Thinking about using it with DBT with
  • 05:34some very exciting things forthcoming.
  • 05:36And I think what Doctor Martin had on,
  • 05:38was it as a bit of radical acceptance
  • 05:40on my part of my lack of knowledge in
  • 05:43this area and accepting that this is
  • 05:45where our patients that how we reach
  • 05:47our patients and really thinking about?
  • 05:49How do we reach the populations that
  • 05:51we're working with and so I am could
  • 05:53not be more excited to learn more.
  • 05:55About Kim's working and look forward
  • 05:57to all of our future collaborations.
  • 06:00Thank you, Rebecca Kim.
  • 06:02It's all you know. Alright,
  • 06:04well I hope I can hold up to that.
  • 06:08OK, let me share my screen.
  • 06:24Sorry I gotta get it to the beginning.
  • 06:28Wow, sneak preview. It already looks great.
  • 06:31I'm so sorry. OK, here we are.
  • 06:36So, uh, the talk I'm going to
  • 06:38focus on today is XR in health,
  • 06:40so this is kind of I'm going
  • 06:42to talk a bit about gaming,
  • 06:44but I'm also going to talk about extended
  • 06:46reality in health and kind of like
  • 06:48what is this and what is the reality?
  • 06:50What is the state of XR
  • 06:52in health and medicine?
  • 06:55Just a quick background on me.
  • 06:57I have been here for about
  • 06:59going on 12 1/2 years now.
  • 07:02I'm a research scientist
  • 07:03at the ice cold medicine.
  • 07:05Most recently I'm the director
  • 07:06of our play for Real XR Lab,
  • 07:09which is at the Yale Center
  • 07:11for Health and Learning Games,
  • 07:12and I'm also Deputy director of
  • 07:14the play to Prevent Lab within
  • 07:17the Center and then another hat
  • 07:19I have is that I'm a K12 scholar
  • 07:21at Yale Center for Implementation
  • 07:23Science through the NHS BI,
  • 07:24which has been great.
  • 07:26In terms of thinking about game
  • 07:28based interventions about how?
  • 07:30What are some of those factors
  • 07:32to implementation?
  • 07:33Successfully implementing games within
  • 07:34schools and clinic based settings
  • 07:36and and community settings settings.
  • 07:38So and then most recently this
  • 07:40year I became editor in Chief for
  • 07:43the Games for Health Journal,
  • 07:45which has been just wonderful.
  • 07:47Kim, we're not seeing your
  • 07:49slides. If you want to
  • 07:50share not see my sites.
  • 07:53Let me try again.
  • 07:55Can you see them now, Yep.
  • 07:59OK, so sorry about that.
  • 08:01OK, so so yeah, so I'm going to
  • 08:03give you a little bit background of
  • 08:05some of the games I've worked on.
  • 08:07I'm going to talk a little bit,
  • 08:10give an introduction to what
  • 08:11XR extended reality is and what
  • 08:13it can do in terms of health.
  • 08:15I'm going to give you some examples
  • 08:17of XR in health and medicine
  • 08:19broadly and then talk about two
  • 08:21specific projects that we've
  • 08:23been working on in our lab and
  • 08:25then kind of wrap it up with.
  • 08:27Kind of my my bigger thoughts about kind of.
  • 08:30What is the optimism with games Annex
  • 08:32our technology and then of course
  • 08:35kind of the caution moving forward.
  • 08:42So for the past like I said for the past,
  • 08:46you know over a decade a porch on what a
  • 08:50lot of of game based interventions and
  • 08:53projects as both as a PIN does copii.
  • 08:56So we focused on games around
  • 08:59tobacco use and vaping.
  • 09:01E cigarettes, marijuana use,
  • 09:02alcohol, harm reductions,
  • 09:03HIV STI prevention in minority use,
  • 09:06HIV testing and counseling and teens.
  • 09:09Empowering black teen girls
  • 09:10around sexual health decisions,
  • 09:12bystander intervention and sexual
  • 09:13assault and LGBTQ bullying.
  • 09:15So why games like why?
  • 09:16Why so much effort an interesting games?
  • 09:19Well, in terms of interventions,
  • 09:21and when we think about kids right?
  • 09:23Especially 'cause our games have always
  • 09:25focused on on youth and young adults,
  • 09:28is you know this is?
  • 09:29This is where kids are so.
  • 09:32So let's let's meet them where they are.
  • 09:34Let's let's put our energy into something
  • 09:37we know that they're interested
  • 09:39in and that's that's, you know,
  • 09:41digital health and technology and games.
  • 09:43But beyond that,
  • 09:44it's beyond like the engagement factor,
  • 09:46right?
  • 09:47You know, games can be tailored.
  • 09:49They can be adapted.
  • 09:50Is this wonderful environment in
  • 09:52place for kids to practice skills?
  • 09:54You know when they're in there,
  • 09:56doing it in a safe space, right?
  • 09:58So they can practice again and
  • 10:00again and again.
  • 10:01And if they mess up, it's not a big deal.
  • 10:05We just try something else.
  • 10:06You can practice decision making.
  • 10:08See that what kind of outcomes?
  • 10:10No, you get from making
  • 10:12certain decisions and games.
  • 10:13And again these outcomes are not
  • 10:15going to affect your real life.
  • 10:17You know health outcomes, right?
  • 10:18So we can we can see what happens
  • 10:20if we don't use condoms.
  • 10:22You know, in a relationship, right?
  • 10:24And then and see how that affects
  • 10:27our future so. It's a great.
  • 10:30It's a great platform for role modeling,
  • 10:33you know. And it's less idea.
  • 10:35Kind of, you know,
  • 10:36exploring options kind of
  • 10:38like the old adventure books.
  • 10:40You know, adventure games.
  • 10:42And finally two there.
  • 10:43There is a lot of interest.
  • 10:45There has been a lot of interest
  • 10:47for a long time in in this idea of
  • 10:49collection in collecting in game data
  • 10:51and kind of also thinking about Fidelity,
  • 10:54right?
  • 10:54So when we we think about
  • 10:56interventions that come into schools,
  • 10:57oftentimes you have to have
  • 10:59a teacher that is trained to,
  • 11:01you know,
  • 11:01implement that intervention.
  • 11:02And when you think of something
  • 11:04like sexual health,
  • 11:05you know teachers sometimes maybe
  • 11:06things out that they you know.
  • 11:08Maybe they don't want to talk about
  • 11:10or don't feel comfortable talking
  • 11:12about or don't know enough about.
  • 11:14You know,
  • 11:15with games that kids are
  • 11:16playing the same way every time,
  • 11:18so there's a.
  • 11:19There's a high,
  • 11:20you know high fidelity to them.
  • 11:22Which is another reason that they're
  • 11:24great and in game data we can.
  • 11:25We can see how kids are making choices
  • 11:27in the game and then compare that to
  • 11:29perhaps assessments outside of the
  • 11:31game or behaviors outside of the game.
  • 11:33And we can see real connections
  • 11:35to where kids are
  • 11:36actually learning in the game.
  • 11:38So I mentioned I am the director of the.
  • 11:43Play for real X. Our lab.
  • 11:45Our mission is really to kind of not
  • 11:48just develop these interventions,
  • 11:50but also to rigorously evaluate
  • 11:52them and that could be in,
  • 11:54you know, Kayla studies, RCT's,
  • 11:55whatever kind of you know, rigorous study.
  • 11:58We want to think of.
  • 12:00But those games are also going to be
  • 12:02based on theory and evidence, right?
  • 12:05And the literature.
  • 12:07We both focus on XR and gaming technology.
  • 12:11This started back in 2000.
  • 12:1517 Yes 2017 we started the
  • 12:17lab with funding from Oculus,
  • 12:19which is one of the IT is,
  • 12:21you know,
  • 12:22one of the top VR headsets that
  • 12:24you can buy the Oculus Quest.
  • 12:29So taking a step back So what is XR?
  • 12:32I keep using this term, but you know,
  • 12:35a lot of people aren't really
  • 12:37familiar with what it means,
  • 12:38so XR means extended reality.
  • 12:40And really what it means is it's a
  • 12:42blanket term for immersive technology,
  • 12:44so that can be, you know,
  • 12:46augmented reality virtual reality
  • 12:48and this mixture merged reality,
  • 12:49so I'll take it even a step further and
  • 12:52describe some of these so augmented reality.
  • 12:55So AR is where you're creating an overlay
  • 12:57of virtual content onto the real world.
  • 13:00But you can't necessarily interact
  • 13:01with that environment, right?
  • 13:03So you will most likely see a lot of AR
  • 13:06applications on your phone and in some
  • 13:08headsets to headsets are quite expensive,
  • 13:11but you're probably most likely
  • 13:13interested or Reno augmented reality
  • 13:14from some popular apps like Pokémon
  • 13:16Go is augmented reality, right?
  • 13:18You can't necessarily interact
  • 13:19with those Pokémon.
  • 13:20They're not going to recognize
  • 13:22if they're on top of the table,
  • 13:25or you know under a bed.
  • 13:28But they're they're going to,
  • 13:29you know you can still see the digital
  • 13:31objects, and you can capture them,
  • 13:33right?
  • 13:33Which it's not really interacting
  • 13:34with your environment.
  • 13:35Another example of augmented reality.
  • 13:36I don't know if you guys saw this.
  • 13:38You know about the lawyer that had his
  • 13:40cat filter on and couldn't figure out how
  • 13:43to turn it off during the court meeting.
  • 13:45And another kind of example
  • 13:47of augmented reality.
  • 13:48But we can we think of health and medicine.
  • 13:50We can take this even further, right?
  • 13:52So we can we can think about,
  • 13:54you know,
  • 13:55a projections of holograms and
  • 13:57other ideas that are projected in
  • 13:58front of you and you can see them.
  • 14:00You can.
  • 14:01You can skip more of like a,
  • 14:03you know a 3D models.
  • 14:04You can walk around and and maybe
  • 14:06remove layers and dig deeper right?
  • 14:08We can we can do a lot of brain scans.
  • 14:11We can let you know there's a lot that
  • 14:13we can do with augmented reality.
  • 14:15Come this way.
  • 14:18And then to you know more and more
  • 14:21augmented reality is being used
  • 14:22to assist in surgical procedures.
  • 14:24By superimposing patient information
  • 14:26in reality. So for surgeons, do it.
  • 14:28You know they're not having to
  • 14:30maybe look up an over there,
  • 14:32you know,
  • 14:33to the side to look at a monitor
  • 14:35that that this kind of information
  • 14:37page patient information can be
  • 14:39projected directly down onto the
  • 14:41patient and where they're working.
  • 14:43And they can also get real real time
  • 14:45feedback from from others on their team.
  • 14:51A second we have virtual reality,
  • 14:53so virtual reality it actually.
  • 14:54On the other hand, is where you're
  • 14:56fully immersed in a digital environment,
  • 14:58so most of you might know this right?
  • 15:01It's like examples might be like
  • 15:03being able to tour the Anne Frank
  • 15:06House to really kind of step in.
  • 15:08When and what it meant must have felt
  • 15:10like for Anne Frank to be, you know,
  • 15:12hidden away what her environment was like.
  • 15:14You can get a feeling of this size an
  • 15:16an objects that would have been in
  • 15:18her room and you can actually interact
  • 15:20with them and interact with her story.
  • 15:22Another example is you know being
  • 15:24able to be trained for Black Friday,
  • 15:27Walmart as this is an inexpensive
  • 15:30way to train, you know,
  • 15:32temporary employees and how
  • 15:34to prepare for Black Friday.
  • 15:36But even further,
  • 15:38we can think about,
  • 15:39you know virtual reality being used
  • 15:42in treating phobias or exposure therapy,
  • 15:44right so, crowded spaces,
  • 15:46or being out in public or
  • 15:48social interactions.
  • 15:49We can create environments that simulate
  • 15:52these kind of these situations and and put
  • 15:56people in them and help them with exposure.
  • 15:59And then even further a,
  • 16:01you know a colleague of mine in
  • 16:04Pediatrics has been working with.
  • 16:07You know he's an oncologist.
  • 16:09Pediatric oncologist has been
  • 16:10working with kids with brain cancer,
  • 16:13and,
  • 16:13you know,
  • 16:14be he's created these wonderful
  • 16:17environments where kids can meet
  • 16:19for social support with the goal
  • 16:21of being able to, you know,
  • 16:23increase socialisation,
  • 16:24where if there in chemo,
  • 16:26or their isolated from others,
  • 16:29they can't necessarily be.
  • 16:30Are in the room, you know,
  • 16:32oftentimes are going to be
  • 16:34teenagers or young adults,
  • 16:36and they may,
  • 16:37you know,
  • 16:37might be anxious about meeting others
  • 16:39or just might not physically possible,
  • 16:42so creating these kind of social
  • 16:44spaces for therapy.
  • 16:45Group therapy to happen is really
  • 16:47can really interesting.
  • 16:48An markets market are Asher Marks is
  • 16:52doing some amazing work with that.
  • 16:55So this is an article I wanted to share
  • 16:57'cause this is something that I I just.
  • 17:00I fell into this and I couldn't
  • 17:02put this paper down.
  • 17:04I was so excited to see it.
  • 17:06It's from the Journal of Medical
  • 17:08Internet Research.
  • 17:08It's just released this last making
  • 17:10month or two.
  • 17:11It's a bibliometric report of the
  • 17:13uses of XR in health and medicine,
  • 17:16and those words are based on author
  • 17:18and abstract keywords.
  • 17:19So there is about 8400 papers and
  • 17:21original original articles that
  • 17:22about 63% of that literature.
  • 17:24And but what's really cool is you can
  • 17:27really see from this heat map where
  • 17:29the work you know in XR is being done,
  • 17:32so you know,
  • 17:33even for you know in your own careers,
  • 17:35perhaps looking at some of these keywords
  • 17:37and seeing where your interests lie,
  • 17:39an where you know where
  • 17:42you might fit on this map.
  • 17:44So these can range from anything from,
  • 17:47you know,
  • 17:48we see the you know I mentioned
  • 17:51improving surgical skills and
  • 17:53reducing surgical procedure errors,
  • 17:55acute pain Management VR is often
  • 17:57used as a distraction technique,
  • 18:00chronic pain management,
  • 18:01even beyond distraction,
  • 18:03physical rehabilitation and we think of
  • 18:05mirror therapy for stroke patients or TBI.
  • 18:08Improving cognitive abilities
  • 18:10of patients with stroke or TBI,
  • 18:12including speech and attention and memory.
  • 18:16And then we are, you know,
  • 18:18we can also knows it benefits patients with
  • 18:20mental health conditions such as anxiety,
  • 18:22depression,
  • 18:23substance abuse and eating disorders.
  • 18:24And it's used.
  • 18:26Like I mentioned it,
  • 18:27in therapy for a number of fodio
  • 18:30phobias and traumatic stress disorder.
  • 18:32So in this article went on to kind
  • 18:35of show where the publications
  • 18:37are being are happening,
  • 18:39so the most are happening.
  • 18:41You know, in pain, pain,
  • 18:43distraction, pain reduction, a lot,
  • 18:44a lot of VR is wonderful for distraction.
  • 18:49Especially for kids that are going through,
  • 18:52you know, dressings or.
  • 18:55And simple procedures that can cause
  • 18:56a lot of stress and anxiety for them.
  • 18:59You know,
  • 18:59putting them in a VR headset can help
  • 19:02to keep them calm and distracted from
  • 19:04things that are happening to them.
  • 19:06Uh, and it, you know,
  • 19:08if you go down then there's stroke
  • 19:10anxiety of Parkinson's depression again,
  • 19:12fearing those phobias, cancer,
  • 19:13Alzheimer's, dementia, PTSD.
  • 19:15So the list really kind of goes on,
  • 19:17but you can see here where the a lot
  • 19:21of the work has been done already.
  • 19:24Uhm?
  • 19:25And if you see here and This is why
  • 19:28I think it's such an exciting time,
  • 19:30you know to be a pioneer in this field.
  • 19:33There is this.
  • 19:34This area is really exploded, you know.
  • 19:36Just in this last five to 10 years,
  • 19:39more and more work is being done.
  • 19:41There spends a lot of exciting applications
  • 19:43and more and more publications,
  • 19:45so you know it is.
  • 19:46If it's just an exciting time to
  • 19:49be a part of this. So moving on.
  • 19:53So what I wanted to share with you today.
  • 19:56You know we're working on
  • 19:57several projects in our lab,
  • 19:59but I wanted to share two of those
  • 20:01projects I wanted to share a game based
  • 20:04intervention multiplayer intervention
  • 20:05and then a VR based intervention.
  • 20:07So you kind of get a taste of two
  • 20:10different types of ways to use digital
  • 20:13health technology for digital health.
  • 20:15So I'm going to talk to
  • 20:16you about one night stand.
  • 20:18This is a video game for HIV
  • 20:20prevention and black teen girls,
  • 20:22funded by the an ICE HD and then
  • 20:24invite only VR vaping prevention games.
  • 20:26This is funded by Oculus
  • 20:28Education Anas in VR.
  • 20:31So one night stands.
  • 20:33This is a a game has been near and
  • 20:35dear to my heart for many many years.
  • 20:38This started as a card game and we had
  • 20:41received funding from the Women's Health
  • 20:43research at Yale and we created a,
  • 20:45you know, a paper based card game to
  • 20:47to to kind of get our ideas on on
  • 20:50paper and try some simple prototyping.
  • 20:52Cheap simple prototyping to come
  • 20:54up with a game.
  • 20:55And then from that from that pilot data
  • 20:57that we received from the card game,
  • 21:00we extended that into an R21 and got.
  • 21:02I need to create this into an multiplayer
  • 21:04web based video game intervention,
  • 21:06so this has been just so so fun
  • 21:08and it's always wonderful to see.
  • 21:11Like you know,
  • 21:12your ideas and projects come come to life,
  • 21:14even if it takes several years,
  • 21:16you know, just keep pushing forward
  • 21:18if you believe in something,
  • 21:20I think that's the message from this game.
  • 21:23So HIV prevention in black teen girls?
  • 21:26So why did we focus here?
  • 21:28Well, one in 32 black women will receive
  • 21:31an HIV diagnosis in their lifetime.
  • 21:33Black women are often diagnosed
  • 21:35late in the disease process,
  • 21:37which means they're infected intestines.
  • 21:39A lot of this has to do with,
  • 21:42you know,
  • 21:43their experience with racism and and
  • 21:46mistrust of the medical field so.
  • 21:49Black teen girls between the ages
  • 21:50of 14 and 19 or are diagnosed
  • 21:53with an STI at over two times.
  • 21:55The rate of white girls and we know
  • 21:57that STI's are associated with,
  • 21:59you know,
  • 22:00a five time increase in the risk of HIV,
  • 22:02so that is kind of coming out at two ways,
  • 22:06HIV and STI's.
  • 22:06So the goal of this game was can
  • 22:09we create an early intervention,
  • 22:11specifically terror tailored for
  • 22:12black teen girls to decrease their
  • 22:14risk for HIV and STI infection?
  • 22:16But the most important piece
  • 22:17of this right is like the.
  • 22:19What does this all mean within the context
  • 22:22of being a black teen girl in dating?
  • 22:25And that was kind of really why?
  • 22:27Again like why I mentioned like
  • 22:29the importance of being able to
  • 22:31tailor games and and make them,
  • 22:33you know specific to certain
  • 22:36topics or populations.
  • 22:37There were a lot of things I know talking,
  • 22:39you know talking with.
  • 22:41With with teen girls through focus
  • 22:43groups that we just learned and that
  • 22:45really guided the way our game came out.
  • 22:52So yeah, this is very long list here,
  • 22:55but of our aims for a research project,
  • 22:57but we're really looking at that
  • 22:59preliminary impact of the game right?
  • 23:01We wanted to look at knowledge, intentions,
  • 23:03social perceptions, self efficacy,
  • 23:04and then this this idea of behaviors so.
  • 23:07But but even a step further,
  • 23:09you know before those behaviors.
  • 23:10What are some of those smaller
  • 23:12behaviors that you engage in
  • 23:14before the big behaviors happen?
  • 23:15So we were interested in the big primary
  • 23:18aim of can we increase HIV STI testing?
  • 23:20Partner testing and condom use.
  • 23:22But we also wanted to see if
  • 23:24we could get girls you know,
  • 23:26to engage in the behavior of talking
  • 23:27to their partner right about condoms,
  • 23:29talking to their partner
  • 23:30about getting tested?
  • 23:31You know, maybe looking,
  • 23:32getting on the Internet and
  • 23:34find out where they can go.
  • 23:35Maybe talking to their doctors about
  • 23:37what what it means to you know,
  • 23:39is prep right for them.
  • 23:40So we're really interested in,
  • 23:42you know,
  • 23:42kind of seeing what this game could
  • 23:44do and then we were also interested
  • 23:46in the acceptability of the game.
  • 23:48You know, games and interventions
  • 23:49are all great and wonderful,
  • 23:51but if they're not an engaging
  • 23:53or you know I'm not.
  • 23:54I'm always cautious.
  • 23:55Use word fun, but if they're not,
  • 23:57you know engaging and fun to use,
  • 24:00then then teens won't play them or
  • 24:02they won't be paying attention so.
  • 24:04We want to make sure that
  • 24:07the game is enjoyable.
  • 24:08So like I mentioned, we did one of them.
  • 24:11You know,
  • 24:12an important part of developing
  • 24:13any type of intervention like
  • 24:15this is as we really spend a lot
  • 24:17of times in the formative work,
  • 24:19so we did a lot of focus groups
  • 24:22with with black teen girls and it
  • 24:24was really kind of interesting.
  • 24:26Interesting time,
  • 24:26because if you see the dates here,
  • 24:29this is when you know kind of COVID
  • 24:31happened and everything moved
  • 24:32on line and we could no longer
  • 24:35ask access teens in schools to
  • 24:37have in person focus groups.
  • 24:39So we open this up.
  • 24:40We put a,
  • 24:41you know,
  • 24:41a call out on on Facebook and
  • 24:43Instagram had to see you know if
  • 24:45we could bring some teens in to
  • 24:47do some zoom focus groups and I
  • 24:49was really nervous about doing
  • 24:51this because I thought you know,
  • 24:52these girls aren't going to know each other.
  • 24:55They're really not going to make it
  • 24:57just going to sit and not say much.
  • 24:59Maybe they're going to be quiet
  • 25:01or not engaged to get,
  • 25:02you know in a conversation,
  • 25:03but it was actually quite
  • 25:05the opposite that teens.
  • 25:06This is.
  • 25:06Also, you know during the riots
  • 25:08and Black Lives Matter when.
  • 25:10This movement was really big and important,
  • 25:12and George Floyd,
  • 25:13you know it's a really important time,
  • 25:15so these conversations with girls
  • 25:17really took a life on their,
  • 25:19you know, life of their own.
  • 25:21It was,
  • 25:22we learned so much just by listening to
  • 25:24them engage with each other about you.
  • 25:27Know what it means to date as
  • 25:30a black teen girl. And it was.
  • 25:33It was just so so amazing
  • 25:35and such an eye opener.
  • 25:37So a lot of that you know in terms
  • 25:40of and what I mean by that in terms
  • 25:42of navigating as a black teen girl,
  • 25:45you know, just like any team,
  • 25:46they're there.
  • 25:47They're navigating the world
  • 25:48of what it means.
  • 25:49You know today to be in a relationship.
  • 25:52And how do you vet guys and determine
  • 25:54what are some red flags stating?
  • 25:56But within that to be a black teen
  • 25:57girl also means you're you're
  • 25:59dealing with colorism and racism.
  • 26:01And men saying I only date light
  • 26:03skin black girls and you're getting
  • 26:04you know you're you know you're
  • 26:06not necessarily getting support.
  • 26:08Your family and and you know?
  • 26:10And so there was.
  • 26:11It was just really powerful about
  • 26:13hearing these girls talk about what
  • 26:15it means to data as a black girl.
  • 26:17So so we use that formative work
  • 26:20to to move forward in our game.
  • 26:22And again,
  • 26:23another point to bring this up about.
  • 26:25You know,
  • 26:26making a game relatable to your audience.
  • 26:28You know when that one of the girls
  • 26:30that we talked with in our focus
  • 26:32girls had mentioned you should
  • 26:34hire a black female artists to
  • 26:36do this artwork for your game.
  • 26:38Graphic novelists were like
  • 26:39of course we should.
  • 26:41That makes absolute sense.
  • 26:42'cause you know, this is what that's just.
  • 26:44It was a common sense thing.
  • 26:45I don't know why we hadn't thought of it,
  • 26:48so we sought out.
  • 26:50A woman that did a black woman
  • 26:52that did some amazing artwork
  • 26:54that we really enjoyed and vetted
  • 26:56that with the teams Ann and she
  • 26:58did all the artwork for the game.
  • 27:02I'm here is just another example, but.
  • 27:05In the game,
  • 27:06it's a multiplayer game and I
  • 27:08can give you an example here.
  • 27:10It's kind of.
  • 27:11I don't know if you've played Jackbox,
  • 27:14but it's like a jackbox games
  • 27:16where you have a shared screen.
  • 27:19Then everybody is on their phone making
  • 27:21decisions and doing things on their phone,
  • 27:23and then those responses are
  • 27:25actually on the main screen.
  • 27:26So we what we really wanted
  • 27:28to see from this game.
  • 27:29It was it we wanted it to be about all
  • 27:32the things that teens told us about, right?
  • 27:35Like you know, dating is happening.
  • 27:37You know, navigating through social media.
  • 27:39That's how girls do that.
  • 27:40If they want to learn about the guy there,
  • 27:43they're getting on Instagram.
  • 27:44I'm gonna snap traffic.
  • 27:45Getting on Twitter.
  • 27:47They're doing Google searches.
  • 27:49And often,
  • 27:49most early conversations can
  • 27:51happen through text.
  • 27:52When you're getting to know
  • 27:53somebody and then even more so,
  • 27:55you know a lot of conversations around
  • 27:57Saxon condoms and all those things
  • 27:59are actually happening in text.
  • 28:01So we wanted to make this a game about,
  • 28:04you know.
  • 28:05So how are you?
  • 28:06How girls are not navigating social media
  • 28:08and romantic relationships and dating?
  • 28:10So the game is sex is really sex positive?
  • 28:13We really try to keep this idea of and
  • 28:16keeping humor in the game in the sense of.
  • 28:19You know 'cause stating is fun
  • 28:21and sex of course should be.
  • 28:23You know if done well and safely,
  • 28:25it's it should be fun and not something
  • 28:28that you should feel bad about so we can.
  • 28:30We really wanted to see the game
  • 28:33anchor conversations with girls.
  • 28:34So this is a multiplayer game.
  • 28:36This means girls are playing together
  • 28:38on a planet shared screen and they're
  • 28:40doing a lot of fun activities together.
  • 28:42So yeah, the goal is is like can we use
  • 28:45the game to anchor these conversations?
  • 28:47Make some of these topics,
  • 28:49normalize them, maybe you know.
  • 28:50Girls themselves are going the conversations
  • 28:53between them or really is going to
  • 28:56be what's driving this intervention.
  • 28:58So that's I should just say next
  • 29:00steps for for for this is that we
  • 29:02are going to do a pilot randomized
  • 29:04control trial with 80 black teen girls.
  • 29:07We've kind of had to put that
  • 29:09on hold because of kobid.
  • 29:11We've been hoping to get into schools,
  • 29:13but that may not happen.
  • 29:15And so where we've?
  • 29:16We've been considering moving this
  • 29:18to on line and doing it through
  • 29:20zoom and having girls use the shared
  • 29:22screen on zoom and using their
  • 29:24phones to play so that we do believe
  • 29:26that's going to be our next steps.
  • 29:29Here in the fall.
  • 29:31So the second game that I want
  • 29:34to talk about is invite only VR,
  • 29:36so this is our vaping prevention game.
  • 29:40The game that is focused again
  • 29:42on E cigarette prevention,
  • 29:43but with a real focus on
  • 29:46skill based learning.
  • 29:47This is the game we partnered with
  • 29:49twenty with Oculus and 2017 to
  • 29:52develop and evaluate the game versus
  • 29:54a pie small pilot study with 48
  • 29:56teens and then with a larger pilot.
  • 30:00Non randomized control trial
  • 30:03with about 290 teens.
  • 30:07So vaping was the problem with baby.
  • 30:09I don't probably don't need
  • 30:11to tell you guys this,
  • 30:13so I want to spend too much there,
  • 30:16but I think you know the big concern
  • 30:19that we have is that you know
  • 30:22ecigarettes exposure to nicotine.
  • 30:24Nicotine, specifically 3 cigarettes,
  • 30:25can increase susceptibility to
  • 30:27future nicotine addiction, including,
  • 30:29you know, combustible cigarettes.
  • 30:30Adolescent nicotine exposure can
  • 30:32affect attention and cognition.
  • 30:33You know.
  • 30:34We also know that E cigarettes are
  • 30:36known to cause breathing difficulties and
  • 30:39inflammatory reactions and lung diseases.
  • 30:42So you said you know in in a
  • 30:44word or not good it's you know,
  • 30:47we really don't want kids to start vaping.
  • 30:50We do that know that you know kids
  • 30:52that have been introduced to nicotine
  • 30:54early earlier in are more likely to
  • 30:57be addicted to nicotine as adults.
  • 30:59So I don't know if you've ever
  • 31:02heard that city.
  • 31:03I think it's like 90 some percent of
  • 31:06adults 9095% of adults all started,
  • 31:08you know?
  • 31:11I'm sorry, secondary cigarette
  • 31:12users smoking adults that are
  • 31:14smoking 90 to 95% of them actually
  • 31:16started as an under the age of 18.
  • 31:19So we really want to try to
  • 31:21get to kids before you know
  • 31:23addiction becomes a problem.
  • 31:27And more so for the last,
  • 31:28you know the last couple of years here
  • 31:30we've seen an alarming increase in high
  • 31:33school students that have reported
  • 31:34using E cigarettes, so this in this,
  • 31:37you know, we look at 27.5%.
  • 31:38Have reported that they have used any
  • 31:40cigarette **** in the last 30 days,
  • 31:43whereas you know we have about
  • 31:44when we think that leaving.
  • 31:46Look at the middle school,
  • 31:47we have like 10 and a half
  • 31:49percent reported having used one.
  • 31:51So you know with this our goal
  • 31:53really with invite only was.
  • 31:55So really think about how can we get our
  • 31:57kids before they're starting debates,
  • 31:59so we really focused on this, you know,
  • 32:02idea looking into middle schools,
  • 32:03middle schoolers, 7th and 8th graders.
  • 32:06So the the the primary aims aims of our
  • 32:09research project we wanted again look
  • 32:11at this preliminary impact of invite
  • 32:14only VR again a knowledge perceived
  • 32:16likelihood of using E cigarettes
  • 32:19there harm perceptions the perception speak,
  • 32:21addictiveness,
  • 32:21social perceptions,
  • 32:22self efficacy to refuse and those you know.
  • 32:25Again looking at the big picture of their
  • 32:29behaviors related to E cigarette news.
  • 32:31And again, acceptability the kids,
  • 32:33find it fun.
  • 32:34Are they engaged with they played again?
  • 32:37What they tell others play that game
  • 32:39play experience was really important.
  • 32:41And then, because this was a VR game,
  • 32:44we were really interested in
  • 32:46exploring their VR experience.
  • 32:47How did that you know?
  • 32:49How did that kind of fit
  • 32:51into this intervention?
  • 32:52What were some of the benefits
  • 32:54of using VR over a traditional
  • 32:57like web based or 2D game?
  • 32:59And then did this perceived responsibility
  • 33:01decisions they made in the game?
  • 33:04The things they do in the game kind
  • 33:06of extend outside of the game did
  • 33:08they feel like the things they were
  • 33:10doing in the game they were in control
  • 33:13of and it feel kind of relatable
  • 33:15to things outside of their game.
  • 33:17In real life.
  • 33:20So again,
  • 33:20you know kind of that same approach they
  • 33:22talked about with with one night stand,
  • 33:25you know?
  • 33:25An invite only VR was developed
  • 33:27with input from over 100 teams.
  • 33:29Then I'm going to talk about
  • 33:31this more at the end of my talk,
  • 33:33but it was the first developed for,
  • 33:36you know,
  • 33:36the headset where you provide
  • 33:38your phone in and you know it was
  • 33:41run as an app that's run on your
  • 33:43phone and it was really clunky and
  • 33:45and it overheated and it was.
  • 33:47It was not that great of a headset,
  • 33:49even when Oculus first funded us for
  • 33:52this I was like sure I'm on board,
  • 33:54let's do this but.
  • 33:55Part of me was saying,
  • 33:57but is this going to get into
  • 34:00schools because it was so clunky
  • 34:02and difficult to use.
  • 34:03And then within a year and development
  • 34:05we immediately got Lesgo came out,
  • 34:07which is a standalone VR headset.
  • 34:10Very user friendly and we were
  • 34:12able to move the game into that
  • 34:14and then now you know,
  • 34:16even if we got to a point in 2020 last
  • 34:19year, being last year where Oculus
  • 34:21GO is now been discontinued and
  • 34:24we were trying to look for funds.
  • 34:26To see how to port it into other headsets.
  • 34:28So technology moves really fast,
  • 34:29which is a concern that we do have,
  • 34:32which I'm going to talk about later.
  • 34:34So this is a narrative based game,
  • 34:35so you're a kid.
  • 34:36You're a teenager freshman in high
  • 34:38school and you're trying to get an
  • 34:40invitation to this older students party.
  • 34:42That's happening that night and your
  • 34:43friends are really putting a lot of
  • 34:45pressure on you to get this invite.
  • 34:47And then of course you have
  • 34:49like the guy that's in,
  • 34:50you know in front of you in health class,
  • 34:52but is taking with the teachers and paying
  • 34:54attention because that really happens.
  • 34:56This is the thing that kids told us.
  • 34:58That happens that kids smoke vape in class,
  • 35:00so so yeah,
  • 35:01that that you're trying to get to
  • 35:03this party and so you have to put
  • 35:05yourself in these really awkward
  • 35:06situations of trying to navigate vaping.
  • 35:09And how do you get out of that vaping
  • 35:11and do it in a way that you still feel
  • 35:14in control and kind of cool, right?
  • 35:16Because we know that just say
  • 35:18no doesn't work,
  • 35:19but if you can make a joke or it kind
  • 35:21of changed topics or make excuses,
  • 35:23anything that gets you out of a situation,
  • 35:25then that's that's OK as long
  • 35:27as you get out of it,
  • 35:29right?
  • 35:29So we want to try to give those kids
  • 35:32these kind of tools to be able to use
  • 35:34to get out of these risk situations.
  • 35:36And another cool thing that we
  • 35:38did in this game was we used
  • 35:40voice recognition software,
  • 35:41so this meant that kids were not only
  • 35:43just refusing peers in the game,
  • 35:45but they were also able to use their
  • 35:47real voice to practice refusing.
  • 35:48So you know,
  • 35:49as a character would say something to them,
  • 35:51you know they've been engaged looking
  • 35:53him in the eyes and then kids with
  • 35:56their own voices had to choose a
  • 35:58couple of different ways to say no,
  • 35:59whichever when they wanted.
  • 36:00Or get out of a situation and then
  • 36:03they would speak it and then the
  • 36:05characters you know the game would
  • 36:06recognize it in the characters
  • 36:08would reply back,
  • 36:08so it was really this idea of of can
  • 36:11we push this idea of skill practice
  • 36:12a little further so we're not just
  • 36:15clicking on different responses,
  • 36:16but we're actually using our
  • 36:17voices to practice his responses.
  • 36:19The whole goal was to try to make this
  • 36:21game a little stick here in the practice,
  • 36:23the skill practice listed here.
  • 36:26We worked, we had a room eising
  • 36:29artist that we worked with.
  • 36:30We went.
  • 36:31We worked with a local school in
  • 36:33New Haven and we they were let
  • 36:35they let us into their classrooms
  • 36:37and talk to their teachers and
  • 36:39talk to the kids and we we took a
  • 36:42bunch of pictures for the artist
  • 36:44and the artists were able to render
  • 36:46that into a virtual environment that was
  • 36:49very similar in a lot of conversations
  • 36:51happen in in hallways and the bathroom.
  • 36:54'cause you know that's where
  • 36:55baking happens in schools so.
  • 36:57Uh, we had a bathroom that we
  • 36:59took from from the school.
  • 37:01And another thing we did too.
  • 37:03That's really important when we
  • 37:04think of VR and extended reality.
  • 37:06Is this audio component.
  • 37:08When you're fully immersed
  • 37:09when you think about VR,
  • 37:10is really kind of capture a
  • 37:12lot of your senses, right?
  • 37:13And a big part of that is the is the audio.
  • 37:17So we really thought a lot about like
  • 37:19this binaural audio like having sounds
  • 37:21come from different XYZ coordinates
  • 37:22and making you really feel like
  • 37:24you're in the game and the voice in
  • 37:26the sounds are aligning with that.
  • 37:28So we had, you know,
  • 37:29a colleague of ours that came in and did.
  • 37:33Didn't recorded a ton of
  • 37:34sounds within the schools,
  • 37:36so that meant what it sounds like in
  • 37:38the hallway between class periods
  • 37:39that you know the locker slamming and
  • 37:42kids screaming and talking loud and
  • 37:43laughing and then into the classroom.
  • 37:45All the things you hear,
  • 37:47like the buzzing of the lights and chair,
  • 37:49scooting and phones going off
  • 37:51and people coughing and the car
  • 37:53outside the window going by.
  • 37:54So we incorporated a lot of
  • 37:56that to make sure that it.
  • 37:58It also felt like you were
  • 38:00in the real environment.
  • 38:02And then we engage teams.
  • 38:04We had a lot of teens locally that
  • 38:06came in most of them not having
  • 38:08any experience at all with voice,
  • 38:10that voice acting but came in and
  • 38:13did the the voice acting for us.
  • 38:15They also bettered our scripts and
  • 38:17helped us write the the content in
  • 38:19any time that the conversation was
  • 38:21lame or didn't sound right that we
  • 38:23gave them the liberty to change it to
  • 38:26make it sound the way that teams talk.
  • 38:29So this was really a game for teens by teens.
  • 38:32Not every sense of the word.
  • 38:35And then we took the game
  • 38:37into Milford School District.
  • 38:38We partnered with the middle schools,
  • 38:41so we worked with three middle
  • 38:43schools and we enrolled about.
  • 38:45I want to say let's see wait,
  • 38:47we rolled 290 and but our N by
  • 38:50the end of it was 279 and did
  • 38:54have a couple kids drop out.
  • 38:57But we would come in and
  • 38:58kids would play the head.
  • 39:00The game's about an hour and
  • 39:0250 minutes to two hours long.
  • 39:04When they come in about 3-4 gameplay
  • 39:06sessions and we had a control group
  • 39:08and everybody took assessments before
  • 39:10the game play after gameplay three
  • 39:12months and six months we did do a
  • 39:15longer term follow up tonight to see
  • 39:17if there was some retention of a lot of this.
  • 39:21These indicators of behavior change.
  • 39:24This is a lot of fun.
  • 39:26We had.
  • 39:26Kids were completely engaged.
  • 39:27It was just wonderful.
  • 39:28We didn't have any kids actually drop
  • 39:30out because of any sort of VR sickness.
  • 39:33Or, you know, I think that's a
  • 39:35concern that most people have that
  • 39:36all VR is going to make me sick.
  • 39:38We actually didn't have any kids that
  • 39:40that dropped out because of that.
  • 39:42We did have a couple kids drop out,
  • 39:44mostly because we were pulling them
  • 39:46out of physical education class.
  • 39:47So kids were not.
  • 39:48How is this kind of a lesson learn
  • 39:50kids don't mess with their gym class.
  • 39:53Don't take them out of gym because.
  • 39:55You know that kids just fast,
  • 39:57they enjoy that time.
  • 39:58Even if you're bringing in
  • 40:00something cool like VR headsets,
  • 40:02they don't want to miss out on,
  • 40:04you know,
  • 40:05going outside or playing games in the gym,
  • 40:08so that's definitely a lesson learned
  • 40:10that we had to figure out the hard way.
  • 40:13So here's our N,
  • 40:15you know we had kind of pretty much
  • 40:17across the pretty even eight 7th and
  • 40:208th grade 279 kids in total between
  • 40:23the ages 11 and 1465% were were white.
  • 40:26That does definitely reflect
  • 40:27Milford School District,
  • 40:29but we also know that Peiping
  • 40:31is is a problem.
  • 40:33Bigger problem in suburban communities
  • 40:35and schools as opposed to urban schools.
  • 40:38So the we felt that the you know
  • 40:41we had a good population here.
  • 40:45And like I mentioned that I
  • 40:47think this is one of the things
  • 40:49that I would like to highlight,
  • 40:51just as it was so exciting
  • 40:53to me to see that we had.
  • 40:56You know, we had 149 in that.
  • 40:58Receive the intervention and nearly
  • 41:00all of them finished the game.
  • 41:03It tells us, I mean that this tells us a lot,
  • 41:06right?
  • 41:06Like the kids played the game and
  • 41:08they enjoyed playing the game and
  • 41:10they enjoyed it so much that they
  • 41:12finished the game so that in terms of
  • 41:14engagement you know this we had kids,
  • 41:16we had them,
  • 41:16we had them,
  • 41:17they were,
  • 41:18they were locked in and that was great in
  • 41:21terms of yeah delivering an intervention.
  • 41:23Assess the changes and are dependent
  • 41:26variables across those four time points
  • 41:28that I mentioned and we were looking
  • 41:30really looking at effect sizes so
  • 41:32I can just go through these quickly
  • 41:35so I have enough time for questions,
  • 41:37but we did see some great, you know,
  • 41:40greater improvements compared to
  • 41:42the control group in terms of E,
  • 41:44cigarette knowledge,
  • 41:45nicotine addiction, knowledge,
  • 41:46perceptions of E,
  • 41:47cigarette harm,
  • 41:48nicotine addiction perceptions
  • 41:49and these social perceptions
  • 41:50around the cigarette news right?
  • 41:52This idea that everybody is using it?
  • 41:55Ann,
  • 41:55you're cooler if you use it and
  • 41:57all my friends are doing it,
  • 41:59we were able to kind of shift
  • 42:02those perceptions alot so are in
  • 42:04somewhat here in a small small
  • 42:06effect size but still significant.
  • 42:08We didn't see significant changes in
  • 42:10their perceived likelihood of using E
  • 42:12cigarettes or self efficacy to refuse.
  • 42:14However, because these are 7th
  • 42:15and 8th graders going into this,
  • 42:17they were already,
  • 42:18you know,
  • 42:19had these these kind of attitudes
  • 42:20or this idea that I'm not going
  • 42:23to use E cigarettes,
  • 42:24so there mean was pretty low already.
  • 42:26We hit a ceiling effect with both
  • 42:28that and their self efficacy,
  • 42:30'cause kids before they've actually
  • 42:31tried something or been in a
  • 42:33situation they actually their self.
  • 42:35Efficacy is actually pretty high.
  • 42:36Like of course I can say no.
  • 42:39Somebody offers me that,
  • 42:40but a lot of times they just
  • 42:42haven't been in that situation.
  • 42:44To know you know that it's actually
  • 42:45harder once you once you've
  • 42:47been in those situations, so,
  • 42:49but it was still indicative of
  • 42:51a successful primary prevention.
  • 42:53And then our persistent experience.
  • 42:54We had really great scores around
  • 42:56their gameplay satisfaction,
  • 42:57their VR experience,
  • 42:58and this idea of feeling responsible for
  • 43:01the decisions they made in the game.
  • 43:03So we were really happy to see that.
  • 43:06So the big question then,
  • 43:07I'll leave you with this so you know
  • 43:10I talked a lot about XR and can it,
  • 43:13you know,
  • 43:14is this idea of candies kind
  • 43:15of interventions fundamentally
  • 43:17transformed health? Well, maybe right.
  • 43:19Maybe we just don't know yet.
  • 43:21We're so early into exploring this field,
  • 43:23especially around extended reality
  • 43:25that we do.
  • 43:26We just have to do a lot more,
  • 43:28more research and more larger style.
  • 43:30You know,
  • 43:31effectiveness trials and implementation
  • 43:32trials to really understand this
  • 43:34better is shiny and it's new,
  • 43:36and that draws a lot of people in.
  • 43:38So we we need to wait.
  • 43:40We just need to do more work.
  • 43:44So my optimism about all of this is right.
  • 43:47We had an excellent experience with
  • 43:49invite only and some really prominent,
  • 43:52promising preliminary results.
  • 43:53There's a lot of excitement
  • 43:55about Exar right in VR and AR,
  • 43:57talking to teachers and schools.
  • 43:59They were.
  • 44:00They were really excited about
  • 44:02what we were doing.
  • 44:04There are a lot of XR apps and
  • 44:07interventions that do exist
  • 44:09for health promotion and.
  • 44:11And an health behavior change.
  • 44:13Technology that is moving faster
  • 44:14and faster is becoming more and
  • 44:16more user friendly and intuitive.
  • 44:18You can just see that in the change of the X,
  • 44:22the headsets that have been coming
  • 44:24out over the last several years.
  • 44:27I do believe that XR can provide
  • 44:29some opportunities for greater
  • 44:30immersion and skill practice.
  • 44:32You know these headsets now we have,
  • 44:34like you know,
  • 44:35hand tracking and and you know, I tracking.
  • 44:37There's so many things now that we can
  • 44:39do where your actual physical body is doing.
  • 44:42Some of the work and that is
  • 44:44a lot different than clicking
  • 44:45through things on a computer.
  • 44:47So when we have ability to
  • 44:49use our hands in the game,
  • 44:51recognizing our hands in the game or
  • 44:53where we're gazing or who were making
  • 44:55eye contact with that says a lot and then.
  • 44:58I do think that we can think about is time
  • 45:01to start thinking about beyond schools,
  • 45:03where those opportunities to reach kids
  • 45:05are in terms of implementing these.
  • 45:07These health based interventions.
  • 45:08We have them,
  • 45:09you know if we have kids waiting in
  • 45:11clinics or they're in community based
  • 45:13settings or after school programs,
  • 45:15or even the emergency department right
  • 45:16where you have opportunities in hospitals,
  • 45:18we have kids there.
  • 45:19Maybe we can kind of give some of
  • 45:22that use this technology to engage
  • 45:25them or they're already there.
  • 45:27Just my caution.
  • 45:28Stakeholders are still nervous implement,
  • 45:30you know it is you that those that don't
  • 45:32necessarily understand XR extended reality.
  • 45:34It could be.
  • 45:35Sometimes it takes a little bit
  • 45:37of self because you know a lot of
  • 45:40people just don't understand it.
  • 45:42So it does take some getting comfortable
  • 45:44getting people comfortable with technology
  • 45:46and recognizing that it's actually
  • 45:47you know is actually quite simple.
  • 45:49You know to use in a lot of cases you
  • 45:52gotta have buy in from the schools
  • 45:54in the clinics and other programs.
  • 45:57Or when you leave because you can't
  • 45:59keep coming in and and you know setting
  • 46:02up the equipment and which also means
  • 46:04you often need a champion to run that.
  • 46:07So again,
  • 46:08technology moves really fast and research
  • 46:10move slow as it should in many ways,
  • 46:12but as soon as you've got
  • 46:14something figured out,
  • 46:15that headset may be discontinued
  • 46:17and you have to, you know,
  • 46:19think about how you're going
  • 46:20to keep up with technology and
  • 46:22support for that new technology.
  • 46:24Like I mentioned,
  • 46:25researchers greatly still needed,
  • 46:27especially in the field of implementation.
  • 46:29Science creating cool stuff is awesome
  • 46:31and even when it can show that under
  • 46:33controlled situations that works,
  • 46:35what about in the real world?
  • 46:37And another big point that I
  • 46:39want to bring process this idea.
  • 46:41Ensuring access to all.
  • 46:42Not all kids are going to or
  • 46:45or adults for that matter.
  • 46:46Wanna be in VR?
  • 46:48Not all can use that because of
  • 46:50this some sort of disability or
  • 46:52learning disability or vision
  • 46:53and hearing issues right?
  • 46:55Or physical disability?
  • 46:56So what can what ways can
  • 46:58we ensure access to?
  • 47:00All outside of the technology
  • 47:01and that can be sent.
  • 47:02That something is simple it is.
  • 47:06Casting this game from a headset
  • 47:07onto a monitor where others
  • 47:09can see are playing in groups,
  • 47:11right or or in.
  • 47:12You know,
  • 47:13translating games to two web based
  • 47:15or two D games on the computer and
  • 47:17rigorous trials are still needed,
  • 47:19and they there is a need for
  • 47:22them to be higher powered.
  • 47:24So other projects that were working
  • 47:28on a extended reality model of here
  • 47:31were talk about ** our models to to
  • 47:35teach medical residents and students
  • 47:38had improved diagnosis of neurofibromatosis.
  • 47:42We we another project we're
  • 47:43working on is skill based,
  • 47:45augmented reality based intervention
  • 47:47focused on alcohol use,
  • 47:49prevention and harm reduction.
  • 47:54A game based application to enhance
  • 47:57outpatient cardiac rehabilitation for
  • 47:59women who just had a heart attack.
  • 48:02An then again, thinking about how we're
  • 48:04going to take invite only an adapt that to
  • 48:07other risk behaviors such as marijuana,
  • 48:09use marijuana vaping in other
  • 48:11populations that may be at high risk for
  • 48:14negative outcomes related to vaping,
  • 48:16and then I do have this really keen interest
  • 48:18in development and evaluation of projects.
  • 48:21Those focused on patient advocacy,
  • 48:23especially like when you think about kids,
  • 48:25teenagers and young adults that are
  • 48:28trans transitioning into young adulthood
  • 48:29and maybe leaving their insurance
  • 48:31may be moving to another state.
  • 48:33And if they have some, you know,
  • 48:36congenital heart disease or mental health
  • 48:37issues or concerns that they're able.
  • 48:39They learn how to advocate for themselves.
  • 48:42So maybe VR is a wonderful way to
  • 48:44practice those interaction skills
  • 48:45with a doctor or your peers or others
  • 48:48to to really kind of say, hey,
  • 48:50this is what I've got going on and
  • 48:53and I need to advocate for myself
  • 48:55and my health so and then again,
  • 48:57let's use of AR an artificial intelligence.
  • 48:59How can we think about that?
  • 49:01Technology can be used as a way
  • 49:04for skill development.
  • 49:05I'm I'm really interested,
  • 49:06been super excited and interested in an
  • 49:09artificial intelligence so, so that's me.
  • 49:11So thank you.
  • 49:12You know,
  • 49:13Doctor Martin for inviting me to do this,
  • 49:15and I've just been super excited about
  • 49:18this all week so I will stop my slides.
  • 49:21And if anybody has any questions
  • 49:24for me I'm happy to answer them.
  • 49:26And we do have some some interesting
  • 49:30questions and I'm going to let
  • 49:33Faye had the first question.
  • 49:37Thanks Andres and I apologize,
  • 49:39Kimberly for not mentioning
  • 49:40your name in my in my question
  • 49:43that I wrote. This is how the brain works
  • 49:46sometimes I could have. I just knew
  • 49:48I didn't know your name but I could
  • 49:51have just looked at the screen and
  • 49:53and see that your name is Kimberly.
  • 49:56So I I refer to you in my notice
  • 49:59in my chat as a speaker so I
  • 50:01apologize for that, but nonetheless,
  • 50:03as I listened to you though,
  • 50:05I request two questions popped into.
  • 50:07My head the the name of
  • 50:10the game for the black teens.
  • 50:13That's called one night
  • 50:14stand. When I heard that something
  • 50:17in my stomach reacted to that name.
  • 50:21Uhm yeah, be 'cause of the the whole
  • 50:24term of one night stands and the
  • 50:27negative connotation of one night
  • 50:30stand just hearing that as it was
  • 50:33linked to black young people I my my
  • 50:37I had a visceral reaction to to the
  • 50:40name. So I thought that it could
  • 50:43suggest a bit of a negative connotation
  • 50:47when one hears that. So that's
  • 50:49the first thing. And so with that.
  • 50:53I wondered if when you were developing
  • 50:55the game you mentioned, how dear it
  • 50:58is to your heart on if you also have
  • 51:01some black folks on your team who
  • 51:04who listen to something like this
  • 51:06and thought about what it meant.
  • 51:08An gave some some suggestions and
  • 51:11some feedback as still the the
  • 51:13different ways of looking at that.
  • 51:15So that's what
  • 51:16popped into my head as I as I listen to you,
  • 51:20so I appreciate that so much.
  • 51:23We thought of the name the name one night
  • 51:26stand because there was a character in the
  • 51:28game that he's he's kind of the trickster.
  • 51:30He's the guy that is going.
  • 51:32He's kind of looking for a one night stand.
  • 51:34So how do you recognize this?
  • 51:36Diane? Avoid him.
  • 51:37So that's kind of where that.
  • 51:39And then it's it has evolved.
  • 51:40So if that gave you a visceral reaction
  • 51:42and you know that's something we should
  • 51:44consider changing the name, absolutely.
  • 51:46I think it's just something
  • 51:47we've hung on to forever.
  • 51:49And it was a main character in this game.
  • 51:51The early versions of the game,
  • 51:53and it's.
  • 51:53Not so much now,
  • 51:55so it I think changing name is still we're
  • 51:58totally fine to do that in terms of the team.
  • 52:01We the very first thing we did
  • 52:03when we started this project
  • 52:05was we brought on ijoma apara.
  • 52:07She actually is going to be moving
  • 52:10coming to Yale at the school.
  • 52:12Public health here.
  • 52:13In the summer she's a black female
  • 52:15that focuses on specifically empowering
  • 52:17black teen girls around risk behaviors.
  • 52:20You know,
  • 52:20avoiding risk behaviors and
  • 52:22taking pride in their ethnicity.
  • 52:24So she has been involved from day
  • 52:26one and helping us to do all of this.
  • 52:29So she's been fighting this with us
  • 52:32and helping us look through focus
  • 52:34groups and analyzing those through her
  • 52:36lens and her expertise is definitely,
  • 52:38I think that's one of the main
  • 52:41things I'm not a black teen girl.
  • 52:43I have no idea what that means
  • 52:45to to be a black teen girl.
  • 52:47So another thing that we did
  • 52:48too is from our focus groups.
  • 52:50We created an advisory group of
  • 52:52Teen Black Teen Girls from that was
  • 52:54I think we had eight that every
  • 52:55step of the way we're like.
  • 52:57So what do you think about this?
  • 52:59What do you think about this?
  • 53:00What do you think about this?
  • 53:02So in every step it has to go through
  • 53:04our Advisory Board and they have
  • 53:06to either in promote, you know,
  • 53:07say, give us thumbs up,
  • 53:09or tell us how to change it or
  • 53:11tell us to get rid of it so.
  • 53:14For sure,
  • 53:14we've been really trying hard
  • 53:16to put that in place.
  • 53:17You can guess the wonderful part about
  • 53:20working with teams is that yeah, yeah.
  • 53:22I acknowledge very quickly that I don't.
  • 53:24I'm not an expert in what it
  • 53:26means to live that experience,
  • 53:28so the teams tell us.
  • 53:30And then you know, like Joma tells us,
  • 53:33and that's I'm just.
  • 53:34I just try to look at like the
  • 53:37vessel to try to create this
  • 53:39things that others are telling
  • 53:41me how to correctly create.
  • 53:43And
  • 53:44Kimberly, thank you Kim and and just to
  • 53:46add that I I'm I'm very excited about
  • 53:48the mixed methods approach right that
  • 53:50he start with hearing the voices of the
  • 53:52kids in these focus groups to inform you.
  • 53:54And then you do the fancy statistics
  • 53:56as you roll them out and also that
  • 53:58your artist was a black artist.
  • 54:00I mean that that art was wonderful,
  • 54:02but I think that's a great question.
  • 54:04Feyen mix jamming out on that.
  • 54:06I see another riffing off of that.
  • 54:08I also see a great question
  • 54:09from Maggie Maggie.
  • 54:10Do you want to and if you could turn
  • 54:13your camera that would be great.
  • 54:15And Natasha, you're on next.
  • 54:16Also, turn your camera on so Maggie, please.
  • 54:22Hi. Thank you, I don't get it.
  • 54:26Yeah, I was wondering about your control
  • 54:29group of whether you're comparing
  • 54:31to conventional methods of social.
  • 54:34About the second one of getting
  • 54:37the information about breaking out,
  • 54:39or if you're comparing to no intervention.
  • 54:43Touch it, yeah.
  • 54:44So what we did and we did a couple of
  • 54:47things and I think when we do these
  • 54:49talks it's hard to get it all in there.
  • 54:52But the entire school had a right
  • 54:53before we did our intervention in
  • 54:55the entire school had their own
  • 54:57intervention where somebody came in
  • 54:59and talk to them about vaping and
  • 55:01that's what the school that was,
  • 55:03how the school focused on beat that
  • 55:04was their vaping prevention methods.
  • 55:06So we we use that like the all
  • 55:08the kids got that and then we had
  • 55:11kids and then we had kids that.
  • 55:13Play the game so like on top of
  • 55:15it so it would kind of be like
  • 55:17an adjunct to what they already
  • 55:18received through the school.
  • 55:20So so the control group got their
  • 55:22normal stuff that they would
  • 55:23have gotten from the school.
  • 55:26Thank you Maggie. Thank you Kim Natasha.
  • 55:33Yeah, we lost, you know Tasha. They are.
  • 55:39I'm sorry I have to hold the
  • 55:41camera because of the setup,
  • 55:43but I'm just curious as to have any of
  • 55:46these simulations been triggers for any
  • 55:48of the teams and what is your follow
  • 55:51up response to any of those triggers?
  • 55:54Feel like a lot of times there are probing
  • 55:57questions or things that trigger response,
  • 55:59but the follow up it's lacking,
  • 56:02so there's no. How do I word it?
  • 56:06There is no follow up to
  • 56:08what they were feeling,
  • 56:10what they were experiencing.
  • 56:11It's kind of just like, OK,
  • 56:13we've triggered this and now
  • 56:15you're on your own to figure out
  • 56:17and process your feelings and deal
  • 56:20with that separate and apart.
  • 56:22This is a great question.
  • 56:23This is been why I've been hesitant
  • 56:25to move the intervention to do on line
  • 56:27because when we work with schools
  • 56:29we can have those debriefings with
  • 56:31kids and teens and say hey if any
  • 56:33of this was triggering or to you
  • 56:35or you want to talk to somebody,
  • 56:37let us know.
  • 56:38We have a clinical psychologist
  • 56:40on our team that was the first
  • 56:42point of contact but when we work
  • 56:44in schools we can also engage the
  • 56:46school and the school counselors and
  • 56:48an ensure that that supports there.
  • 56:50So that is been one of the main
  • 56:52reasons I've been super super
  • 56:53hesitant and holding off on doing.
  • 56:55Moving intervention to do
  • 56:56online through zoom is I.
  • 56:58I was specifically worried about that
  • 57:00follow up because you know what?
  • 57:02If we do have a girl that was
  • 57:04sexually assaulted and got any,
  • 57:06you know an STI from that or or
  • 57:08do you never know?
  • 57:09You just never know what this could
  • 57:11trigger an usually when we're within
  • 57:13a community in a school community especially,
  • 57:16we can.
  • 57:16We can help to safeguard that
  • 57:18and provide resources.
  • 57:19So we've been working with that on our
  • 57:21team of trying to come up with a plan.
  • 57:24If we do move this on line.
  • 57:26How can we be supportive?
  • 57:28We do have a follow up a four
  • 57:31month follow up with these girls,
  • 57:33so we'll be doing baseline one
  • 57:35month for months.
  • 57:36We have several opportunities
  • 57:37to engage with them.
  • 57:38But yeah,
  • 57:39kind of having a broad like
  • 57:41link to resources is.
  • 57:42It's just not as nice as being
  • 57:45able to to connect them locally.
  • 57:48And sort of to follow up
  • 57:50on that question as well,
  • 57:51like what is the parental
  • 57:54involvement in this meaning.
  • 57:56What is the parental involvement with the
  • 57:58child having access to this programming?
  • 58:00But secondarily,
  • 58:01if there is a trigger annerys the response.
  • 58:04What is the family involvement then you know,
  • 58:07that might not have been there.
  • 58:10Prior to engaging them for this purpose,
  • 58:12so I feel like as a person of mixed heritage,
  • 58:15I find that in my community it's kind
  • 58:17of like we're going to come in here.
  • 58:19We're going to.
  • 58:20We're going to prove you were
  • 58:22going to do all these things,
  • 58:24and then there's these massive
  • 58:25repercussions when it comes to
  • 58:27finding therapy.
  • 58:27Finding follow up for the children is
  • 58:29kind of like you guys figure this out.
  • 58:32Yeah, we we might have started
  • 58:33it and triggered it,
  • 58:35but now you figure it out on your own.
  • 58:37I'm just wondering what supports
  • 58:39are there for families that.
  • 58:40May have had some type of response
  • 58:43or or things of that nature.
  • 58:45Yeah, I mean, these are great questions.
  • 58:48Maybe I'll reach out to you making help
  • 58:51me brainstorm this because you know,
  • 58:54currently we just have the
  • 58:55helping helping kids connect.
  • 58:57We do apparently, do, you know,
  • 58:59require parent permission to be
  • 59:01in to be involved in the study,
  • 59:04obviously, but we don't.
  • 59:05Only unless there's like
  • 59:07concerns of apparmor,
  • 59:08self harm or obviously something
  • 59:10like sexual assault, this happened.
  • 59:12Then we are obligated to tell
  • 59:14parents about that stuff.
  • 59:15But you're right, I.
  • 59:16I would love to talk to you more about
  • 59:19if you have some ideas about how to
  • 59:22to ensure that safety or the you
  • 59:24know those this access to resources.
  • 59:28That said,
  • 59:28thank you for bringing that up.
  • 59:31We have one final question.
  • 59:33We want to be mindful of of time.
  • 59:36Walter, you go ahead.
  • 59:41Well, I was. I was curious there.
  • 59:42I know Kimberly and by the
  • 59:44way great to see you again.
  • 59:48It's there's been some research
  • 59:49in the past and I'm thinking maybe
  • 59:52four or five years ago that I was
  • 59:55looking at and in some sense then
  • 59:57looking at VR as a way to be able to
  • 01:00:00increase empathy or groups that have
  • 01:00:02been authorized by the person who's
  • 01:00:04actually participating in the VR.
  • 01:00:06So, like, you know,
  • 01:00:08spending some time walking in
  • 01:00:09the shoes of a refugee family,
  • 01:00:11spending some time visualizing
  • 01:00:13yourself as a black man in a car
  • 01:00:15being pulled over by the police.
  • 01:00:18And then doing attitudinal measures
  • 01:00:19about people's thoughts about
  • 01:00:21these individuals before and
  • 01:00:22after having experienced certain
  • 01:00:24circumstances in their shoes.
  • 01:00:25And I'm wondering what your thoughts
  • 01:00:28are about that kind of research.
  • 01:00:30As well as applications for for,
  • 01:00:32for, for the medical profession.
  • 01:00:34Because I'm concerned about you know,
  • 01:00:36what can we do to be able to help children
  • 01:00:39be able to view other children better,
  • 01:00:41but I find myself increasingly
  • 01:00:43more interested in what can we do
  • 01:00:45to help adults be able
  • 01:00:46to view children better.
  • 01:00:49I'm really, I'm really curious
  • 01:00:51what your thoughts are about this.
  • 01:00:53Yeah, I think we're moving more and
  • 01:00:55more towards greater embodiment with VR.
  • 01:00:57Like I'd mentioned now,
  • 01:00:59like before when you would look
  • 01:01:01down at your body if you're in VR,
  • 01:01:03you have controllers and you look down.
  • 01:01:06You see controllers.
  • 01:01:07Now we can look down and hands
  • 01:01:09of art become our body right?
  • 01:01:11And our brain is very easily
  • 01:01:13tricked into into that.
  • 01:01:15And there's some great amazing
  • 01:01:16work being done out of Stanford
  • 01:01:18around embodiment and changing.
  • 01:01:20Uhm, views around all kinds of
  • 01:01:22things like you're talking about
  • 01:01:24one of the one of the cool ones too
  • 01:01:27are for adults to be able to look
  • 01:01:29into mirror and see themselves but
  • 01:01:31see themselves aged and then people
  • 01:01:33that can see themselves aged are
  • 01:01:35able to kind of be able to think
  • 01:01:37forward more about decision making
  • 01:01:39and you no longer term impacts
  • 01:01:41on their health and stuff.
  • 01:01:43But that thing of empathy.
  • 01:01:44You're right and I you've hit
  • 01:01:46something that I don't know if it's
  • 01:01:49been done about about helping adults.
  • 01:01:51Look through the eyes of what
  • 01:01:52it's like to be a child.
  • 01:01:54Maybe that's maybe that would be
  • 01:01:56an amazing project to think about,
  • 01:01:58doesn't it doesn't?
  • 01:01:59I think you could do a lot of just
  • 01:02:02really preliminary work on that,
  • 01:02:03just to see.
  • 01:02:04'cause immediately when you think
  • 01:02:06perspective and embodiment you've
  • 01:02:07gone from high level right.
  • 01:02:09Like if I put on a VR headset and
  • 01:02:11I'm usually talking directly to
  • 01:02:12a character to now I'm down here
  • 01:02:15and I'm having to look up you
  • 01:02:17immediately just changed even just
  • 01:02:18the perspective of how a child sees
  • 01:02:20an adult or somebody in power.
  • 01:02:22So you could do just there so I
  • 01:02:24could imagine there's just simple
  • 01:02:26things you can do to try to get this concept.
  • 01:02:29My subliminal messaging worked.
  • 01:02:34So this is a fantastic idea. Yeah,
  • 01:02:38so with this subliminal message
  • 01:02:39brought to you by Walter Gilliam,
  • 01:02:41we really thank you.
  • 01:02:43It's very exciting and I
  • 01:02:44know that Rebecca, Lori,
  • 01:02:46and I are thrilled about our
  • 01:02:48collaboration and I'm sure that
  • 01:02:50you give ideas to many others.
  • 01:02:51So stay tuned for more.