A new video game has been developed that can help doctors identify patients who abuse prescription drugs, and this game may help save lives. The interactive game is based on research performed by Dr. Michael F. Fleming, associated with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and it utilizes the same technology that is used to train FBI agents in interrogation. In 2009 the number of prescription drug overdose deaths was higher than the number of traffic fatality deaths for the first time ever, and this shows just how prevalent prescription drug abuse is in the USA. According to Gayle Haynes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman, “The misuse of prescription medication has been largely the cause for this increase. About 75 percent of overdoses involved prescription drugs.”
The new video game is interactive, and it is designed to teach doctors to communicate better and ask further questions of their patients. Many family physicians and medical students are not trained on ways to identify and prevent prescription drug abuse, and this can lead to problems. Doctors usually do not want patients to be in pain, but these professionals also need to recognize the signs of prescription drug abuse through questions and better communication with their patients. The game awards points when the player asks the right questions, and it provides advice on how to improve the prescription drug abuse identification. Warning signs for prescription drug abuse are often overlooked, and this video game is helping physicians recognize these signs more effectively. If you or someone you know has a prescription drug abuse problem then Valiant Recovery can help.
