Doctors Who Play Video Games More Likely To Perform Successful Surgery

If there is one thing that people in the United States have learned about the healthcare system here, it’s that you have to take personal responsibility for asking your doctor the right questions pertaining to your health. If you don’t do that, you’re leaving the quality of your healthcare to chance, which is no good. If you want to increase your chances that your doctor will perform a successful surgery, you might want to ask if he or she plays video games.

Supposedly there is a correlation between performing successful surgery and playing video games. This is not new information. As a matter of fact, I found a 2004 article on the NBC News website that went so far as to say that if doctors play video games at least three hours per week, their surgery mistakes decreased by 37%.

Fast forward almost 10 years…a week ago an article was published on Digital Trends which confirmed the results of the original study. Of course, this study isn’t based on actual surgeries. They tested the results on a surgery simulator with virtual patients.

As one doctor explained, playing video games helps ensure a more successful surgery because playing the games before surgery is like ‘warming up.’ Although in a way that seems a bit insensitive, I can certainly understand the logic behind it. As a result, one hospital in Florida even installed a doctor’s gaming lounge where doctors can play video games to prepare for surgery.

So the next time you’re sitting down with your doctor to ask questions about your upcoming surgery, be sure to find out if he or she plays video games. If not, you might want to make that suggestion. I mean, if it could increase your chances having a good surgery experience, why not? With as much negative hype as playing video games sometimes gets, it’s nice to see another example of how they can also play a positive role in our lives. If you want to read more details about this study, you can click on the Digital Trends link above.