Second LifeTM in doctor-patient relationships

Forensic television shows attempt to paint the picture of what goes through the mind of the murderer or the serial killer. For Hollywood, these psychological behaviors give a never ending source of movie “thriller” themes. Despite the gruesome scenes and the addition of Hollywood theatrics, viewers get an inside glimpse of the personality of the offenders and for some viewers, they come away with some sort of transactional analysis and a social vindication at the end.

With the advent of virtual reality which is also known as virtual environment, researchers found that this sense of experiencing “somebody else’s world” or the sense of “somewhere else” has been successful in both psychotherapy and in medical treatments (i.e. rehabilitation) and that there has been a significant increase in the development of applications and devices related to virtual reality exposure therapies. Researchers also found that these virtual environments are so real; patients elicit the same psycho-motor responses like in a real environment.

One such application is Second Life. As a requirement for my class in “The Internet and the Future of Patient Care” students created their avatars and met up on a designated landmark at Davis Island. Our first meeting included a hallucination tour and based on this experience and my research, I came up with how Second Life or for that matter virtual reality can be useful in a doctor-patient relationship:
1) Convenience: Through the use of virtual reality environments, patients and doctors do not leave their offices. In addition, patients confidentiality is not compromised because treatments are not done out in the public.
2) Access: Therapy and treatments are easily scheduled because there is no travelling required. Meetings are easy to schedule so long as there are common availability for both the patient and the doctor. There could be technical difficulties that have to be dealt with just like we experienced in our virtual reality class at Davis Island.
3) From both of the above, virtual reality therapies offer reduce cost of treatment and it is aligned with green initiatives.
4) Speed: Learning how to maneuver the avatar can be accomplished within a handful of hours or training sessions and patients can be ready to begin their therapies fairly quickly. Like in our virtual meetings, in the beginning, I see the therapist playing the traditional active role in leading and controlling the sequence of events. As the patients get comfortable navigating in the virtual realm, the patient can begin driving the process of the treatment such as making decisions and choices.
4) Psychotherapy Treatment: The computer simulated environment offers a non-evasive method of psychotherapy treatment. Through simulated exercises, patients both young and adult can combat their fears, phobias, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSDT) disorders and even psychoses like the hallucination exercise we had.
5) Fun: I think the virtual simulations can be both fun for both the young and adult patients. For someone like me who needs a stress reliever every now and then, the infusion of virtual reality at the slot machines draws me to the casinos. Nowadays, there are high definitions and sense-surround slot machines and I find myself gravitating towards those. I probably end up spending more at the casino than an actual therapy session but for my needs, this once in a while entertainment is a worthwhile diversion.

In conclusion, virtual reality is a value added in a doctor-patient relationship in the areas of psychotherapy and medical treatment. For some, it can be purely entertainment and that works too!