Medical Escape Room

The goal of the Medical Escape Room (MER) project was to create an escape room game for medical students. The game simulates an actual ER situation and allows the players to apply their skills in a stressful, time-pressured environment - while also having fun! The game is an optional part of an anesthesiology course and was created by eight students from two different fields: medicine and information technology.

The gameplay consists of actual physical puzzles found in the room, a game app that can be played on a tablet, and a medical doll that the students can practice their diagnostic skills with. The app offers the students puzzles that allow them to progress in the game upon solving, and input fields for codes that they find in the room. Integrating physical and digital puzzles enhances the learning experience, as the students get interactive feedback as they play. The data gathered from the games was used in the thesis of the two medical students of the team.

The positive experiences of the players would encourage the use of escape room games in medical education even in the future.