Virtual Hospitals Protocol

Teaching young doctors to work with others is yet another skill that can be taught in a virtual world.

In an article titled Can Second Life help teach doctors to treat patients?

According to the article:

After the avatars enter the computer-generated hospital, they check in at a reception desk, put on an access badge, and then stop by professor Martyn Partridge’s office to get their assignment. Partridge’s online likeness bears an eerie resemblance to his real-life appearance.

If students forget to wash their hands before visiting a patient, their investigation is halted.

Then students enter a patient’s room and their work begins. Because their assignment takes place in a respiratory ward, they can access recordings of real-life patients’ breathing to help with their diagnoses. And if students decide that X-rays are needed, they can stroll down to the radiology department and order them.

All these steps are designed to reinforce lessons about responsibility and hospital protocol.

This shouldn’t replace traditional medical education but it can certainly enhance and reinforce the skills they need to apply with patient. Virtual worlds are a good way to help reinforce people skills and conduct role-plays in realistic environments.
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