Clinical trial · Interventional
Intervention of a Game About Radiotherapy for Children With Cancer
Evaluation of an Intervention by a Pedagogical Digital Game About Radiotherapy for Children With Cancer
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Background: Radiotherapy (RT) can be stressful and challenging for children exposed to a highly technical environment with large radiation equipment and immobilization devices. A pedagogical digital game about RT has been developed. Children who have received RT participated in work-shops and contributed with their experiences and suggestions. Aim: To explore whether the intervention with a pedagogical digital game facilitate understanding, choice of distraction, creation of a sense of calmness and self-efficacy prior to and during RT and to describe the children's and the parents experiences and use of the game as a pedagogical tool. Further, to investigate feasibility in terms of reach, usability and acceptability. Method: A feasibility and prospective waiting list control design is planned by recruiting 60 children (5-14 years) and their parents, for randomization into two groups. The first group will receive the game five days before start of RT. All children will have standard information one day before RT. The second group will have access to the game three days after start of treatment. The effects of the game will be investigated before and during RT and between groups as they receive the game at different time. Children will answer questionnaires about self-assessed anxiety, understanding of the procedure, distraction strategies, self-efficacy to remain motionless. Statistical comparative and correlational analyses will be calculated. Interviews will be performed with 12 children and 24 parents. Changes and further development of the game will be implemented based on the results of the responses. Significance: The game can support children to undergo RT and be used nationally to prepare for RT. Thus all children receive similar information regardless of where they live, and contribute to increased knowledge, autonomy, reduce fear and anxiety. In the long term, the use of anesthesia could decrease for children.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anxiety State | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game about radiotherapy | Procedure | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Game before RT start
- description
- Intervention of a digital game five days before start of RadioTherapy
- interventionNames
- Procedure: Game about radiotherapy
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Game after RT start
- description
- Intervention of a digital game three days after start of RadioTherapy
- interventionNames
- Procedure: Game about radiotherapy
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Children's State anxiety, change is being assessed
- timeFrame
- Baseline and on treatment day three, six and 15
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 5 Years
- Maximum age
- 15 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: Children aged 5-14 years old who are going to have radiotherapy at the Skandion Clinic, Uppsala with or without sedation/anesthesia, understand and can speak Swedish and have access to a computer. Exclusion Criteria: Severe cognitive impairment and too seriously ill to be able to answer questions.
References
Publications (3)
- BACKGROUNDCederved C, Back J, Angstrom-Brannstrom C, Ljungman G, Engvall G. Co-creation of a Serious Game About Radiotherapy: Participatory Action Research Study With Children Treated for Cancer. JMIR Hum Factors. 2022 May 31;9(2):e34476. doi: 10.2196/34476. PMID 35639467
- BACKGROUNDCederved C, Angstrom-Brannstrom C, Ljungman G, Engvall G. Parents' experiences of having their children take part in participatory action research creating a serious game about radiotherapy. Radiography (Lond). 2023 Jan;29(1):95-100. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2022.10.005. Epub 2022 Oct 29. PMID 36327521
- DERIVEDCederved C, Ljungman G, Angstrom-Brannstrom C, Engvall G. Children's experiences of coping with proton radiotherapy: A mixed-method study at a Swedish nationwide clinic. Radiography (Lond). 2026 Feb;32(2):103286. doi: 10.1016/j.radi.2025.103286. Epub 2025 Dec 18. PMID 41418736