The anonymity offered by virtual worlds is throwing up opportunities for the medical profession, particularly when it comes to encouraging patients to seek help or advice on ailments that they might be embarrassed about. The Spanish Society for Family and Community Medicine has launched a Second Life surgery targeting teenagers, for example.
Among the proposed topics are sexually transmitted diseases and drug addictions. The installation takes the form of a traditional doctor’s consulting room, and will (presumably) be fully private. One of the participating doctors tells the Guardian of the benefits:
“Teenagers do not often go to see the doctor but this is an efficient and amusing tool to reach them because we can both use the same route. Even though they do not often suffer serious illnesses, they often expose themselves to risks which can develop into problems in the future. This is a way to talk about their doubts about taking drugs or sexual relations which they cannot do in a traditional consultation.”
The Society plans to extend the idea to other kinds of patients in the coming months.
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