Heart Hospital Gamifies Competence Assessment

Heart Hospital Gamifies Competence Assessment

At Heart Hospital, there was a clear need to modernize employee onboarding – especially when it came to evaluating staff competence. Education Coordinator Jarno Sillman and his team embraced the challenge with curiosity and creativity. Their solution? A fresh, gamified approach using the Seppo platform that turned learning into an interactive, engaging experience.

Heart Hospital is a publicly owned, limited liability company specialising in cardiac care. It is jointly owned by the Wellbeing Services Counties of Pirkanmaa, Central Finland (Keski-Suomi) and Kanta-Häme. The hospital’s mission is to promote everyday wellbeing and support heart health at every stage of care.

Rethinking Onboarding: A More Engaging Approach

In spring 2024, the team at Heart Hospital’s Jyväskylä unit set out to rethink their onboarding process. Their goal: find more modern, effective ways to assess and develop staff skills.

A core team – Education Coordinator Jarno Sillman, Cardiac Unit Nurse Heidi Peltonen, and Clinical Specialist Kati Kekälinen – began exploring alternatives to traditional training and materials.

“We were looking for something engaging, flexible in terms of time and place, and appealing to the new generation of healthcare professionals.”

Could Gamification Be the Answer?

Sillman first heard about Seppo during a healthcare education event, where a successful onboarding game used in South Savo Wellbeing Services County’s home care units was presented. One of its strengths was that it helped participants identify their own knowledge gaps.

The idea took root, and Sillman decided to try Seppo firsthand with a two-week free trial.

“As an Education Coordinator, I’m used to building learning paths and task structures, so I was able to dive right in. Seppo struck me as a really promising tool.”

Want to try Seppo yourself? Take advantage of the 14-day free trial!

When planning the pilot, the team asked themselves a few essential questions:

• How much time and effort would this take?
• What kind of added value could it bring?
• Would it actually motivate and involve our staff?

The answer became clear: it was time to test Seppo.

Beyond Technology: Real Support Matters

The pilot project focused on a gamified “Coronary Artery Disease Game,” which reflected real-world patient encounters on the cardiac ward. It also included a series of hands-on workshops led by Seppo’s team. Throughout the process, gamification expert Santeri Jaakkola provided crucial guidance.

“Santeri’s workshops were incredibly helpful. We got technical and pedagogical support, plus practical tips that made building the game much easier. And whenever we needed advice, the response was fast and expert”, Sillman says.

Positive Feedback Fuels Future Plans

The game launched in early 2025. Feedback from its first users was collected as part of a master’s thesis project, with a focus on content quality and user experience.

“The response was very positive. People described the game as interactive and inclusive – which was exactly what we were aiming for. Younger staff in particular appreciated this more modern way of learning”, Sillman explains.

Importantly, the responses also helped identify areas where additional training was needed – making the game useful for both learners and the organization.

Gamification Unlocks New Learning Opportunities

Sillman sees a wide range of potential applications for Seppo in the future:

• Enhancing onboarding processes
• Tracking and developing employee competencies
• Making training days more dynamic
• Bringing energy to workplace wellbeing days

“Seppo encourages new ways of working and helps us see things from a fresh perspective. We’re just getting started – and new ideas are already taking shape.”

The hospital has also begun experimenting with SAIGE, Seppo’s AI-powered game engine, which makes it faster and easier to create learning games.

Shaping a More Inclusive Learning Culture

The introduction of Seppo has brought new energy to onboarding and skills development at Heart Hospital.

“We want to offer our people – including the professionals of tomorrow – learning experiences that are meaningful and engaging”, says Sillman.

For anyone curious about gamification or other innovative learning tools, Sillman has a clear message:

“Be bold. Try new things. It’s the only way to discover what really works.”

Looking for new ways to engage and inspire your learners? Book a free consultation – we’d love to show you what’s possible.