This document discusses the use of Second Life in healthcare education. It describes what Second Life is and how various educational institutions, including universities and medical schools, are using it. Specifically, it mentions how Second Life has been used to simulate prenatal care, mental health experiences, and provide virtual training to medical students. While some educators see benefits, others feel it can provide too much information.

1. Using Second Life in
Healthcare Education
Dr. Quiana Bradshaw, DCS
July 17, 2017

2. Second Life as an Educational Tool

3. What is Second Life?
• Second Life is a 3D virtual world environment which was created by
Linden Lab which is headquartered in San Franscisco.
• Second Life is an online world in which residents create virtual
representations of themselves, called avatars, and interact with other
avatars, places or objects. Second Life isn't just a fancy chat room --
residents can do much more than communicate with one another.
(Strickland & Roos, 2017).

4. What is Second Life?
• Resident additions to the virtual world are called user-generated
content, and this content is one of the factors that makes Second Life
such a unique online environment. User-generated content also
explains why Second Life is for adults only -- Linden Lab places few
restrictions on residents, meaning that you can see some pretty
raunchy creations while you're exploring the environment. (Strickland &
Roos, 2017).

5. Lectures in Second Life

6. Second Life Economy
• Second Life's economy is based off a unit of currency called
the Linden Dollar. Linden Dollars are virtual money, but that doesn't
mean they're worthless. Residents can go to a
currency exchange service to convert U.S. dollars into Linden currency,
and vice versa. The official exchange service is called LindeX. The
exchange rate fluctuates, just like real currencies. In October 2007, the
exchange rate was about 267 Linden Dollars for every U.S. dollar.
Most transactions within the game world use Linden Dollars.

7. Six Violations that can get Second Life
Users Banishment from the Site
• Intolerance: Using derogatory language or images relating to a resident's gender,
race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation
• Harassment: Stalking another avatar, participating in cyberbullying, using
intimidating words or actions or presenting unwelcome sexual advances toward
another avatar
• Assault: Committing an act of violence against another avatar in a Safe area
• Disclosure: Revealing personal information about another resident
• Indecency: Inappropriate behavior in PG-rated areas, including running around nude
or shouting obscenities
• Disturbing the Peace: Engaging in behavior that is meant to disrupt other residents'
experiences in the virtual world. This can include making repetitive, distracting noises
or filling a space with so many objects that the area suffers lag as a result.

8. Patient Empowerment with Social
Media
• Patient empowerment can be used with social media.
• People use social media in health care to do the following:
• Share health care information and experiences
• Make effective decisions about health
• Self-management about personal well-being

9. Second Life & Healthcare
• Within 2008, there were discovered to be 68 health-related services in
second life.

10. Second Life & Mental Illness

11. Second Life & Mental Illness
• Yellowless and Cook (2014)
have investigated how Second
Life could be used to increase
awareness of severe mental
illness. A visual environment
was constructed to simulate
auditory and a visual
hallucinations of two patients
with schizophrenia.

12. Second Life & Mental Illness
• A total of 863 survey respondents ventured through Second Life and 440 (76%)
thought that the environment improved their understanding of auditory hallucination,
69% thought that it improved the understanding of the visual hallucinations, and 82%
would recommend it to a friend. (Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2014).

13. Universities that use Second Life for
Education
• Several universities including Harvard & Stanford University use
Second Life environments to enhance educational opportunities.
• Imperial College in London Department of Biosurgery & Surgical
Technology created an online facility called Second Health that
provides patients and students access to health information. (Journal of
Medical Internet Research, 2014).

14. Health Care Automation & Technology

15. Simulations in Health Care
Administration

16. Virtual World Information Overload
• Some teachers and educators
feel that the simulations and
virtual content can be far
advanced for using Second Life
as an educational tool.

17. Healthcare Simulation

18. Prenatal Appointments in Second Life
• Avatars in Second Life can receive
prenatal care and even visit a
prenatal Health HUD. Services can
be purchased and appointments
can be made.
• Prenatal Care is very important
before and during pregnancy, and
with this HUD, you can keep you
and your unborn baby healthy.
Options include:
Supplements
Vitamins
Vaccines

19. Prenatal Care in Second Life

20. Second Life Used for Medical Students
• Prospective doctors that are
third-year medical students from
Imperial College in London.
They are participating in a pilot
program for game-based
learning, which educators
believe can be a stimulating
change from lectures and
textbooks. (Bradley, 2009).

21. Summary
• Educators are using Second Life for:
• As an Educational Tool
• Health sciences
• Universities that Use Second Life
• Second Life Information Overload
• Mental Health
• Prenatal Care
• Third Year Medical Students

22. References
• Bradley, J. (2009). Can Second Life Help Teach Doctors to Treat Patients? Retrieved July
17, 2017 from http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/30/doctors.second.life/
• Second Life (n.d.). Prenatal Health HUB. Retrieved July 17, 2017 from
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Prenatal-Health-
HUD/3914707?id=3914707&slug=Prenatal-Health-HUD
• Spooner, N.A., Cregan, P.C., & Khadra, M. (2011). Second Life for Medical Education.
Retrieved July 17, 2017 from http://elearnmag.acm.org/archive.cfm?aid=2035934
• Strickland, J. & Roos, D. (2017). How Second Life Works. Retrieved July 20, 2017 from
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/social-networking/networks/second-life.htm
• Suomi, R., Mantymaki, M., & Soderlund, S. Journal Medical Internet Research. 2014 Oct;
16(10): e229. Published online 2014 Oct 13. doi: 10.2196/jmir.3177