Games For Health 2006 Content Line-Up Announced

The Games for Health Project has announced its content line-up for the third annual Games for Health Conference, as part of the event that will take place on September 28 and 29 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. The 2006 edition of the annual conference will include more than 30 sessions concerning ways in which video and computer gaming is influencing the health and healthcare industries. Sessions will cover products and projects aimed at personal health, exergaming, professional health care training and skill development, epidemics and disaster response, obesity, and health messaging. A complete break down of the announced sessions can be found on the official website. In addition to content sessions, Games for Health 2006 will feature on-site demos of the latest efforts in the field, poster sessions, and important meet-up opportunities for researchers, assessment experts and various government and non-government health initiatives. Networking time will also be made available throughout the conference, and the meeting features an evening reception sponsored by Virtual Heroes. "The Games for Health conference is designed to strengthen the intersection between health care and gaming,” commented Ben Sawyer, co-founder of the Games for Health Project. “We’re excited to see more and more innovators from the health and gaming arenas working together to make a real impact on people's health everywhere.” Summarizing the importance of the event, Ben Sawyer said, "Slowly but surely the last year has seen a growing appreciation for what modern day videogames can offer to healthcare. The combination of powerful technology, evolved interface design, and growing use among the next wave of health care workers is creating a ripe environment for further growth in this field. What once seemed like an idea on the fringes is gaining impressive momentum and becoming a mainstream reality. Our goal each year with the Games for Health Conference is to move the space forward until the role games, game developers, and game technologies can play in something as critical as our own health is fully realized." This year's conference returns to The University of Maryland School of Medicine and again receives support from both Maryland's Department of Business & Economic Development and Baltimore County's department of Economic Development. In addition, the Games for Health Project is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio, which funds innovative projects that may stimulate breakthrough change in health and health care. Registration is open now for the conference. All information on sessions, travel, housing and registration information is available at the conference website.