Anni Pakarinen
Docent, PhD, MHSc, RN
ankorh@utu.fi +358 29 450 4711 +358 50 440 9740 Kiinamyllynkatu 10 Turku ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9077-1663 |
Health promotion, Digital health, Digital interventions, Gamification, health games, Wellbeing of children, adolescents and families, Case management, Design Thinking
I am a registered nurse with a specialization in medical–surgical nursing and hold both a Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) and a PhD in Nursing Science. Since 2025, I have held the title of Docent in Nursing Science at the University of Turku. Currently, I serve as a Serra Hunter Distinguished Professor at the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy at the University of Lleida, Spain. My work focuses on health promotion, interdisciplinary research, and the development of innovative healthcare solutions. Through my docentship and supervisory roles, I also maintain strong academic and research connections with the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Turku.
My research focuses on health promotion and digital interventions, particularly on serious games and gamified applications, as well as sensor technlogy and wearables. My research approaches the topic from many perspectives; development through user-centered design process, evaluation of the usability, feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention, as well as the implementation process of digital interventions. The research aims to provide both the knowledge and methods to support the work of professionals, to promote the health of individuals and to support the use of high-quality and evidence-based digital interventions in health and social care for disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The aim is also to provide information that can be used in the design and development of new digital interventions for health promotion purposes.
PI in Gamification for Health reseaech programme: https://sites.utu.fi/nursingscienceresearchprogrammes/intelligent-health/gamification-for-health/
I have experience in teaching and planning of teaching in following courses: Design thinking for health- and social care, Health Innovations- from ideas to impact in device development, Digital culture and health (Asklepios), Research and reportage in Nursing Science, Evidence based practice, Design Thinking in healthcare innovation, Case management (continuing education) and Digitalisation supporting Clinical Nursing. I also supervise students in Bachelor, Master and Doctoral level.
- Diet-Related Health Recommender Systems for Patients With Chronic Health Conditions: Scoping Review (2026)
- Journal of Medical Internet Research
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - Gamification Integration in Technological Devices for Motor Rehabilitation in Parkinson Disease: Scoping Review (2025)
- JMIR serious games
(A2 Refereed review article in a scientific journal ) - Integrating Remote Monitoring Into the Pregnancy Care (2025)
- CIN: Computers Informatics Nursing
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Lapsen arki ei odota – neljä estettä, jotka hidastavat monitoimijaista työtä perheiden parhaaksi (2025)
- THL blogi
(E1 Popularised blog post) - Perceived stepfamily challenges: a cross-sectional descriptive study among stepfamilies and social and health care professionals (2025)
- International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - The effect of digital rewards on the motivation of children to perform everyday health behavior (2025)
- Computers in human behavior reports
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - A gamified virtual environment intervention for gait rehabilitation in Parkinson's Disease : co-creation and feasibility study (2024)
- Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - A treadmill training program in a gamified virtual reality environment combined with transcranial direct current stimulation in Parkinson's Disease : Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (2024)
- PLoS ONE
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Etäseuranta osaksi vastasyntyneen hoitoa (2024)
- Kätilölehti
(D1 Article in a professional journal) - Gamified Intervention for Health Promotion of Families in Child Health Clinics: A Cluster Randomised Trial (2024)
- Simulation and Gaming
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)



