title: Using the Virtual Reality World of Second Life to Promote Patient Engagement.
abstract: Patients have typically been passive participants in their own healthcare. However, with a change in philosophy towards outcomes driven care, it has become necessary to make sure that patients mutually set their healthcare goals with their providers Both eHealth and mobile health applications have required patient participation in ways never before valued. The virtual reality world of Second Life offers one eHealth solution that requires computer literate patients to participate via avatars in synchronous healthcare visits and support groups, as well as explore online resources asynchronously. This paper describes the development of a Second Life environment that served as a platform for nurse practitioner driven care supplemented by a patient portal as well as the institutional electronic health record. In addition, the use of Second Life is described as an active exercise to expose students in a Consumer Health course to support groups and resources available to actively engage patients.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Frist Nursing Informatics Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Frist Nursing Informatics Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Trangenstein
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Frist Nursing Informatics Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McNew
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Frist Nursing Informatics Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods*; D000072638:Patient Portals; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface