Real Hope in a Virtual World - washingtonpost.com - The Diigo Meta page

• 22 Apr 08
  

  Jonathan Landau
  • "I don't diagnose, and I don't treat. What I try to do is provide medical advice and support for people undergoing real-world medical problems," Whitehurst said.
• 21 Apr 08
  

  shughes
  • Brown, Salvatierra and Dawley are just a few examples of an increasing number of sick, disabled and troubled people who say virtual worlds are helping them fight their diseases, live with their disabilities and sometimes even begin to recover.
  • Because the full-color, multifaceted nature of the experience offers so much more "emotional bandwidth" than traditional Web sites, e-mail lists and discussion groups, users say the experience can feel astonishingly real. Participants develop close relationships and share intimate details even while, paradoxically, remaining anonymous. Some say they open up in ways they never would in face-to-face encounters in real support groups, therapy sessions, or even with family and close friends in their true lives.
  • 3 more annotations...
  • • Still, an increasing number of major health organizations are trying to take advantage of virtual worlds for public health education, patient support and fundraising.
    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested a small "office" in the popular virtual world Second Life "staffed" by Hygeia Philo, an avatar named after the Greek goddess of health, and is now planning a bigger, permanent presence. The American Cancer Society has an elaborate "island" offering virtual lectures by avatar doctors, support group meetings and other activities, such as an annual fundraising marathons that last year raised more than $115,000 in real money. The March of Dimes is building a virtual neonatal intensive-care unit to warn about the dangers of preterm births. The National Library of Medicine is helping fund HealthInfo Island, where users can get reliable medical information.
    • But the biggest users of virtual worlds for health purposes so far appear to be individual patients. Dozens of support groups have formed by and for those with cancer, paralysis, strokes, depression, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, autism and other ailments.
• 09 Oct 07
  

  Neli Maria Mengalli

  Online Identities Leave Limitations Behind
  By Rob Stein
  Washington Post Staff Writer
  Saturday, October 6, 2007; Page A01
  After suffering a devastating stroke four years ago, Susan Brown was left in a wheelchair with little hope of walking again. Tod

  Research

Page Comments

• 
  Jonathan Landau on 2008-04-22
  Perfect for a KOL sponsored by a PRM program

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