# AR Children's Hospital Applications Alder Play Helps Kids Prepare for Upcoming Procedures By Ell Smith | Published 2017-12-15 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alder-play References: [psfk](https://www.psfk.com/2017/12/hospital-uses-ar-to-gamify-procedures-for-children.html) & [alderhey.nhs.uk](http://www.alderhey.nhs.uk/alder-hey-introduces-a-revolutionary-childrens-hospital-app-to-transform-patient-care-across-the-nhs/) Alder Hey children's hospital understands that undergoing a medical procedure is a scary experience for a child, which is why experts created the Alder Play application -- a gamified augmented reality experience that distracts patients from upcoming surgeries, or operations. Children are asked to create an avatar and a screen name prior to arriving at the hospital, making for a fully personalized and more relatable experience. Once they've arrived at the facility, the patient's avatar will 'pop-up' through its screen, following and guiding the child as the time for their operation approaches. During the journey, the patient can collect points and redeem rewards as they complete each step. Additionally, the application is equipped with a 'Ask Oli' feature, where the patient can ask a chatbot any questions they may have along the way. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.4/10 - Popularity: 37% | Activity: 26% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Gamified Augmented Reality:** Creating gamified augmented reality experiences to distract and engage patients during medical procedures. - **Personalized Avatars:** Utilizing personalized avatars to enhance the relatability of the hospital experience for children. - **Interactive Chatbots:** Developing interactive chatbot features to provide information, support, and answers to patient's questions during medical procedures. ### Who This Affects Most - **Healthcare:** Incorporating gamified augmented reality and personalized avatars to improve the patient experience in children's hospitals. - **Technology:** Developing innovative applications that combine gamified augmented reality and chatbot features to provide interactive experiences in healthcare settings. - **Gaming:** Collaborating with healthcare institutions to create gamified augmented reality experiences for children, merging the gaming and healthcare industries. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Medical Preparation Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/medical-preparation-toy.md) - [VR-Based Pain Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smileyscope.md) - [AI-Based Children Companions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/robin-the-robot.md) - [Healing VR Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/healing-vr-experiences.md) - [AR-Powered Eye Training Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eyes-amblyopia-trainer.md) - [Kid-Friendly AR Helmets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ar-helmet.md) - [Playful AI Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-tools-for-children.md) - [Augmented Reality Educational Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/augmented-reality-educational-app.md) - [Neurological Patient Telemedicine](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/intellectsoft-telemedicine-neurological-patients.md)