This document provides an overview of several virtual worlds and simulations used for health education and medical training purposes. It discusses specific sites for medical visualization, occupational therapy, nursing education, and more that are found in virtual environments like Second Life. It also describes simulations like NESIM nursing simulator, Pulse trauma simulation project, and Interactive Trauma Trainer that provide realistic practice scenarios. Overall, the document outlines the growing use of virtual worlds and games for improving medical education and skills training.

1. M L A 0 8 : P o s t e r Se s s i o n E a s t e r n U n iv e r s i t y
A N OT H E R L I F E : A S URVEY OF H EALTH Warner Memorial Library
A ND M EDICA L S ITES IN V IRTUA L
T HREE -D IMENSIONA L W OR LDS
Places to Visit in SL SECOND LIFE AND MEDICAL
• Medical Visualization Net- E DUCATION
work
The face of virtual social gam-
• Occupational Therapy Cen- ing worlds has become Sec-
ter of Thomas Jefferson ond Life (SL). Launched in
University 2003 by Linden Research, Inc
the virtual 3-D social environ-
• Second Life Medical Exam- ment is the darling of popular
iner media, capturing the head-
lines in major news outlets
• HealthInfo Island around the world. SL is a so-
cial phenomena.
SL provides its’ virtual resi-
dents with many powerful
tools to create their version of
reality. So it is not surprising
SL Nursing Education that educators soon learned
Groups Lead the Way to use these tools to create
complex buildings and role- Outside the Polyclinic at Second Health
• Nursing Students in Second playing areas. Sites featuring
higher-education have flour- cess to consumer health in- London, Sprott-Shaw College,
Life
ished on the virtual soil of SL. formation, the Center for Dis- Thomas Jefferson University
ease Control is testing a pub- and many other institutions
• Second Life Nurse Fellow-
lic health information re- are involving themselves in
ship Health education has come source, Dr. Ann Buchanan’s the educational uses of this
into its own. Health InfoIsland Ann Myers Medical Center
• NEED –Nursing Educa- environment.
provides residents with ac- presents training and discus-
tors Exploring and Devel- sion group presentations for
oping in SL medical, nursing and psychol- The exploration of virtual envi-
ogy students. ronments for the delivery of
• SL Nursing Ed Sim health and medical education
and information is in its in-
The University of South Flor- fancy. However the future
ida, the Imperial College of looks very bright.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN EDUCATION:
SL GROUPS
SL is a social environment and teleport to meet one an- boasts 229+ members.
with live text and voice chat other within SL. Groups are While the NIH has a group of
available. One feature of SL is forming an important part in 35 members with the mis-
the ability to form groups with communicating and educating sion of promoting better
like interests. medical and healthcare infor- health for everyone. The SL
mation, as well as providing Nurse Fellowship supports
important socialization. the global nursing commu-
Group members can post
nity with its 135+ members.
notes, use instant messaging
The Second Life Health group

2. NESIM: THE NURSING EDUCATION SIMULATOR
http://www.tacomacc.edu/academics/areasofstudy/nursing.aspx
rectly intervene into a variety A new version of the Simula-
of emergency situations. tor is in beta-testing at vari-
Based on advanced cardiac ous education sites.
life support guidelines the
simulations and role-playing NESIM was present by TCCC
situations test the students’ faculty member John Miller,
decision making in assess- RN, MN at the Conference of
ment, treatment and transfer Technology Nashville in 2007.
of patients.
A view of the patient simulator The Simulator provides role
playing experience with the
Developed by the Nursing use of oxygen, EKG, BP and
Department Faculty at the breathing rate, IV and IV
Tacoma, Community College pumps, medication, CPR,
in Washington. The simulator defibrillator, heart and lung
offers the students the oppor- sound assessment, pain as-
tunity to experience patient sessment and documenta-
simulations that require them tion. Clinical Surgical Unit
to use critical thinking to cor-
PALOMAR POMERADO WEST: SCI-FI OR FACT
http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2008/prod_022508.html
“….the simulations test system in CA, gives SL visitors presence through high-
a look into the future of medi- definition video and spatial
the students’ decision cine. The virtual version of a audio over the network.
building to be finished in
making in assessment, 2011 demonstrates the use
of advanced robotics, 3D
treatment and transfer Remote consultation holographic medical imaging,
the latest technology in com-
of patients.” A joint venture by Cisco Sys- munication and collaboration,
tems and Palomar Pomerado and the use of “in-person”
Health, the largest health experience called tele-
A view of the automated MRI
H E A LT H I N F O ISLAND
http://healthinfoisland.blogspot .com,
According to the Health and heimer's Disease and a vari-
Medicine website, HealthInfo ety of other health issues can
Island was created on a grant be found in pleasantly ar-
from the Greater Midwest Re- ranged displays.
gion of the National Network /
National Library of Medicine to
allow librarians to opportunity to All information is selected by
present “consumer health infor- the librarians associated with
mation services in a virtual envi- the project from authoritative
ronment.” The island is home to sources
a variety of health information
builds including a consumer The original grant was written
health library, medical library. by Lori Bell of the Alliance
Information on AIDS, Alz- Library system, Illinois. HealthInfo Island Website

3. S E C O N D H E A LT H : T H E F U T U R E
OF H E A LT H C A R E C O M M U N I C AT I O N
http://secondhealth.wordpress.com
messages as well as illustrat- the Imperial College of Lon-
ing what healthcare of the don. It includes a series of
future could look like.” documentary films describing
the future of healthcare and
health information delivery.
The virtual healthcare facili-
ties is built within a larger
complex of representing mod-
ern London. It presents very
Consumer information guide unique representations of
According to the Second delivering healthcare from a
Health blog site the complex modern hospital to a local
series of virtual buildings community healthcare facility
found at the Second Health called a Polyclinic.
Hospital represents an
“experimental, innovative and The site was created in con-
efficient means of communi- junction with the UK’s Na-
cating complex healthcare tional Physical Laboratory and Virtual radiologist
N O T A L L V I R T UA L L I F E IS SECOND LIFE
“Repetitive practice on
While SL has dominated the be faced with critical decision them with real-life like prob-
reproducible virtual
news with its virtual reality making scenarios that provide lems that they must solve. patients….will allow errors
environment, many others are Virtual reality environments
in the game. Educational, whether played on-line or on to be corrected and
informational and role-playing stand-alone PCs appear to be performance improved
games are serious business. a cost-effective, safe way to
Millions of dollars are cur- train medical professionals in independent of time or
rently being spent to develop critical thinking and assess-
games for learning. Some of ment. location—and at no risk to
the games provide unique patients”
opportunities for students to
Scene from ER-Sim by Legacy
THE PULSE OF V I R T UA L M E D I C A L E D U C A T I O N
http://www.sp.tamucc.edu/pulse/news.asp
tients” these are the aims threatening patient problems
posted on the Pulse website. where actual frequency is low
while the stakes are high.”
Pulse is a ten million dollar
project of Texas A & M Corpus
PULSE Website Christi. The gaming platform
is designed to present health-
“Repetitive practice on repro- care providers with a wide
ducible virtual patients….will range of emergency simula-
allow errors to be corrected tions. Using the latest tech-
and performance improved nologies Pulse will expose
independent of time or loca- learners to “practical experi-
ence with rare, life- Inside PULSE
tion—and at no risk to pa-

4. I N T E R AC T I V E TR AU M A T R A I N E R
http://www.trusim.com/?page=CaseStudy
The Interactive Trauma Trainer
is another multi-million dollar
project. This virtual reality
trainer was commissioned by
the UK Ministry of Defence
with the Human Factors Inte-
gration Defence Technology
Centre “as a prototype to dem- Websites to Visit
onstrate the potential of Seri-
ous Games for defence medi-
cine applications.” The simu- • Games for Health - http://
lation is a PC application that www.gamesforhealth.org
is to be used by medical per-
sonal “in a conflict zone as a • TerraNove Webblog -
skills refresher for common in European video game de- Subject Matter Experts to http://terranova.blogs.com
procedures.” velopment. ensure the task presented
was realistic, lifelike and perti- • Virtual World News -
nent.” A multi-player Battle- http://
The Interactive Trauma Trainer The developers visited a field field Trauma Trainer is in the
is produced by TruSim a disivi- hospital to gather information www.virtualworldnews.com
works using a Shareable Con-
son of Blitz Games Studios to “create an accurate repre- tent Object Reference Model • SLHealthy - http://
Ltd. Blitz is one of the leaders sentation and worked with
(SCORM). slhealthy.wetpaint.com
FORTERRA INC.
http://www.forterrainc.com/
Founded in 1998 the San environments for specific real- Forterra has created many
Mateo, CA based 3D graphics life like training scenarios. health related training envi-
company is a leader in pro- ronments. They have created
ducing secure massively the Trauma Victim Simulator,
multi-player online gaming CPR Trainer for High School
environments. Unlike SL students, and the Emergency
Forterra worlds, based on Preparedness Trainer. Pre-
their OLIVE virtual environ- views are available from You-
ment, is open only to those tube. com.
groups who have licensed and
commissioned the creation of Scene from Trauma Victim
SERIOUS GAMES INITIATIVE
http://www.seriousgames.org Presented by
Mark D. Puterbaugh
Are you serious about games The site offers a variety of
Information Services Librarian
in medical and health educa- discussion lists for those in-
tion, then you should look at terested in serious gaming. Eastern University
the Serious Games Initiative These include 1. Serious Warner Memorial Library
website. Founded at the Games, 2. Games for Health
Woodrow Wilson Center for and 3. Games for Change. In collaboration with
International Scholars the
Mi Young Lim, RN, BSN
goals of the initiative is “to
help usher in a new series of The Games for Health group Genesis Health Systems
policy education, exploration “help foster and support a velopment talent to create en- Eastern University Alumni
and management tools utiliz- community of researchers, tire new ways of improving the Class 2005
ing state of the art computer developers and users of appli- management, quality and provi-
game designs, technologies, cations that use game, game
sion of healthcare worldwide.
technologies, and game de-
and development skills.”