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ORIGINAL PAPER
Virtual therapy: Procedural simulations in education, therapy and comprehensive rehabilitation of patients, with disabilities and mental
1
Pomeranian University
2
University of Gdańsk
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Submission date: 2025-01-06
Final revision date: 2025-08-30
Acceptance date: 2025-09-07
Publication date: 2025-10-31
JoMS 2025;63(3):799-815
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of video games in terms of their educational and rehabilitative value and to present a proprietary tool that may prove useful to representatives of medical sciences interested in employing modern technologies. It also seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the role of technology in healthcare and rehabilitation by analyzing the benefits and limitations of video games in so-called “virtual therapy.”
Material and methods:
This article is a review. At the same time, based on a proprietary method we call “procedural rhetoric,” we analyzed video games we selected as particularly valuable in the medical sciences in an educational and rehabilitative context. The meta-theoretical framework for the analyses is the systems paradigm, which led to the development of the biopsychosocial model of health in the late 1970s and its subsequent expansions.
Results:
The proposed classification of computer games in the table based on their educational, therapeutic and rehabilitation significance
Conclusions:
Despite the regularly increasing number of studies and publications on computer games in the context of their use in medical sciences, there is still a lack of detailed analyses of their long-term effectiveness (Curry, 2022). There are also no studies and analyses referring to formal solutions as part of the strategy of incorporating them into clinical practice (Baltzar et al., 2023). Due to the heterogeneity of the technological solutions implemented in specific projects and various research methodologies assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of these solutions, it is not possible to conduct meta-analyses in this area (Berton et al., 2020).
The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of video games in terms of their educational and rehabilitative value and to present a proprietary tool that may prove useful to representatives of medical sciences interested in employing modern technologies. It also seeks to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the role of technology in healthcare and rehabilitation by analyzing the benefits and limitations of video games in so-called “virtual therapy.”
Material and methods:
This article is a review. At the same time, based on a proprietary method we call “procedural rhetoric,” we analyzed video games we selected as particularly valuable in the medical sciences in an educational and rehabilitative context. The meta-theoretical framework for the analyses is the systems paradigm, which led to the development of the biopsychosocial model of health in the late 1970s and its subsequent expansions.
Results:
The proposed classification of computer games in the table based on their educational, therapeutic and rehabilitation significance
Conclusions:
Despite the regularly increasing number of studies and publications on computer games in the context of their use in medical sciences, there is still a lack of detailed analyses of their long-term effectiveness (Curry, 2022). There are also no studies and analyses referring to formal solutions as part of the strategy of incorporating them into clinical practice (Baltzar et al., 2023). Due to the heterogeneity of the technological solutions implemented in specific projects and various research methodologies assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of these solutions, it is not possible to conduct meta-analyses in this area (Berton et al., 2020).
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