GAMIFICATION AS A STRATEGY FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION IN HAI PREVENTION: EXPERIENCE OF THE SCIRAS WITH AN EDUCATIONAL CARD GAME

Adherence to HAI prevention measures requires effective continuing education strategies. Playful methods such as gamification have shown promise in promoting engagement and retention of content by multiprofessional teams. To report the experience of the Healthcare-Associated Infection Control Service (SCIRAS) with the implementation of a gamification project based on institutional HAI prevention bundles. The intervention was carried out in a high-complexity private hospital with 120 beds. A deck of cards was developed with short, illustrative phrases extracted from institutional protocols (such as prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia, bloodstream infection, urinary tract infection associated with catheter, and surgical site infection). The game was inspired by Uno® rules, adapted to allow discussions during plays and reinforcement of concepts. The activity was applied during internal trainings in day and night shifts, involving nursing, physical therapy, and medical professionals. The action was implemented in 10 care sectors, covering about 120 professionals, with a coverage rate of 89%. There was high adherence and enthusiasm from the teams, who reported greater involvement with the content, practical applicability, and better retention of knowledge. Participants highlighted that “the experience contributed to recycling knowledge and associating preventive measures with care practice.” Others reported “the importance of knowing measures with which we have little contact, such as mechanical ventilation.” The dynamics also favored integration among teams and provided a light environment for professional updating. Gamification was well accepted by professionals and showed potential as an educational tool to reinforce good practices for HAI prevention. The SCIRAS experience suggests that playful methods can be incorporated as a complementary strategy in continuing education in health services, promoting team engagement and strengthening the patient safety culture.