Fostering

health

information

literacy through

use of a virtual

world

Sheila Webber, Information School, University of Sheffield, UK

Elisabeth Jacobsen Marrapodi, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, USA

Rossana I. Barrios, Biblioteca Conrado F. Asenjo, University of Puerto Rico

LILAC conference, London, April 2011

Outline

• Second Life & Health Literacy

• Marrapodi: a health literacy exhibit and quiz in SL

• Barrios: Spanish Language health information

literacy in SL

• Webber: Health Information Literacy Corner on

Infolit iSchool

• Conclusions

Second Life (SL), a Virtual World (VW)

• VW = persistent, multiuser, avatars, networked • 3-D VW world, owned by (& trademark of) Linden Lab• Avatars- 3D representation of yourself – free to signup• Most things created by SL residents: SL fashion

designers, architects, bakers, animal makers …. real economy in SL

• Need to download SL browser & have good broadband connection & computer graphics card

• Communication through text chat, Voice and Instant Messaging

• C. 70,000 people online simultaneously, international, wide age range

Medical/ health use

• Kirriemuir (2010) notes is a key subject

area for education in virtual worlds

• Low risk, can be lower cost, and evidence

of engagement

• Simulations, communications, diagnosis,

anatomy, health education (e.g. McCallum

et al, 2010; Wiecha, 2010)

“3-D virtual worlds provide users with a more

immersive and socially interactive experience, as

well as a feeling of embodiment that has the

potential to facilitate the clinical communication

process.” Gorini (2008)

“I was not so

confronting, but it

puts you in that

situation. You still

wanted to solve

that problem and

fix that patient so

you really got

drawn into the

whole situation.”

student quoted in

Rogers (2009:

885)

What is Health Literacy?

• Health Literacy is about

being able to:

– Read

– Understand

– Act

– Why outreach in VR?

Health Literacy

in the Virtual

World of

Second Life

Elisabeth Jacobsen Marrapodi, Library Director

Trinitas Regional Medical Center

Elizabeth, New Jersey USA

2010 Research Award

MLA/Hospital Libraries Section

This research project has been partially funded with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. NO1-LM-6-3501 with New York University

Study: Can Online Interactive Games

Improve Health Literacy?

The Research Team: Team Leader: Medical Librarian Advisors: Cardiology, Neurology & Education NursesIntern: 2nd Year MLS Student

Teaching Objective: Offer fun, educational, interactive Consumer Health Literacy quizzes using web 2.0 and a virtual platform (Second Life) to increase public awareness about signs and symptoms on selected health topics

Study Timeline: January 2010 – January 2011

Targeted Topics:Heart AttackStrokeMedical Terminology

Target Populations: local community to global outreach

Numbers: Website quizzes = 491Website survey responses = 59 Second Life quizzes = 654Second Life survey responses = 197

Advantages of online interactive games

For the Consumer:

• Private, anonymous

• Learn at your own pace

• Accessible 24/7

• Fun

For the Educator:

• Inexpensive

• Where your customers

are

• Maximum outreach

The Virtual World of Second Life

HealthInfo Island

Traveling Mini-Exhibits in Second Life

Obstacles

Spanish-language tutorials and information on

selected health issues, links to health sites, and

meeting space for instructional events.

Health Literacy Prototype for Hispanic Populations in Second Life ™

Rossana I. Barrios (PI Illios) Conrado F. Asenjo Library, UPR-RCM

…y los

Hispanic

Population in

Second Life

Hispanic Population in SL• Educational Purposes

• Entertainment / Leisure

• Business

• Economic problems / unemployment

• Creativity

• Curiosity

• Health problems

• Caregivers

• Isolated

• Others

Addressing Information Needs

• This community has

information needs

and might seek for

it in-world.

• …but it is usually in

other languages.

Spanish Language Speakers

• Every racial or ethnic group has specific

health problems. The differences in

health may result from:

– Genetic factors

– Environmental factors

– Access to medical care

– Cultural factors

Medline Plus Español

Conrado F. Asenjo Library

University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus

The main health sciences information resource center on the

Island and is considered to have the most complete collection of

its kind in the Caribbean. Collection and services support all

health related academic programs.

Conrado F. Asenjo Library

University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus

Public university

library: As a resource

library under the

National Network of

Libraries of Medicine,

the institution is

committed to providing

and promoting use

and access to

information resources

and databases among

health professionals in

the community, both

individually and

through affiliated

institutions.

Information Services

for the Public: The

Library provides

extensive information

resources to serve the

general public.

Health Literacy Prototype for Hispanic Populations in Second Life ™

Conrado F. Asenjo Library, UPR-RCM

• We chose from CDA &

OMDH reports as main

Latinos’ health

problems

• Topics addressed:

– Guidance in evaluating

health resources

– Influenza A (H1N1)

– Heart disease

– Diabetes

Latinos & Health

Emphasis on informed

decisions

• Emphasis is in guidance and

search, but not to replace health

professional intervention.

• Assessment of reliable health

information.

• Prevention and education.

• The medical library as a trusted

center of guidance and assistance

to the community.

Design

Design

• User-friendly materials

• Learning Paths

• Bilingual Material

• Previously evaluated and appropriate links for

Hispanic populations.

• Plain Language

• Aimed at informed decision making

Graphic Material

Outreach Strategies

Listening SL’sHispanic

population needs

Suggestions mailbox

Polls

Conversations

Activities

Planned according to these needs

Self-running presentations

You Tube Videos

Outreach Strategies

https://sites.google.com/a/upr.edu/tusaludbuscadistingueaprende

Google Site

Outreach Strategies

• Facebook

• Twitter

• SlideShare presentations

• You Tube

• Flickr

• Koinup

Health Information Literacy corner on

Infolit iSchoolSheila Webber /

Sheila Yoshikawa

Model of SCONUL 7 Pillars

of information literacy, with

examples of a search

“Should we panic about

bird flu” (Sheila Webber &

students)

HIV/AIDS information

seeking related to

SCONUL 7 Pillars (by

Robin Ashford (SL Mochi),

librarian at George Fox

University, USA, & former

community librarian in SL

In addition to the heart/stroke quiz …

Teleport to

health related

places in SL e.g. Swine flu

Virtual hallucinations

HIV/AIDS quilt

Tour of the Testis

Health Commons

HealthInfo Island

• Venue for

discussion, social

events, CPD

Conclusions

• Global outreach in real time crossing over all

demographics, truly multinational

• Content designed and created by SL Residents;

create targeted material + use other people’s

• Platform for education, entertainment, living

• educational interventions

• inworld “passers by”; awareness raising

• CPD

• Multiple channel strategy (net + virtual world)

Sheila Webber

Senior Lecturer, Information School

University of Sheffield.

s.webber@sheffield.ac.uk (SL

SheilaYoshikawa)http://information-literacy.blogspot.com/

http://www.slideshare.net/sheilawebber

SL: Sheila Yoshikawa

Elisabeth JacobsenMarrapodi

Library Director

Trinitas Regional Medical Center

Elizabeth, New Jersey USA

EMarrapodi@Trinitas.org (Second Life: Brielle Coronet)http://www.slideshare.net/emarrapodi

SL: Brielle Coronet

Rossana I. Barrios

Biblioteca Conrado F. Asenjo, University of Puerto Rico

rossana.barrios@upr.edu

SL: Pi Illios

References• Gorini, A. et al. (2008). “A second life for eHealth: prospects for the use of 3-

D virtual worlds in clinical psychology”. Journal of Medical Internet

Research,10(3):e21 http://www.jmir.org/2008/3/e21/

• Kirriemuir, J. (2010) Virtual worlds in education: why?

http://www.slideshare.net/VirtualWorldWatch/sheffield-april-2010

• McCallum, J., Ness, V. and Price, T. (2010) “Exploring nursing students'

decision-making skills whilst in a Second Life clinical simulation laboratory.”

Nurse education today. [corrected proof, in press, available online]

• Rogers, L. (2009). “Simulating clinical experience: Exploring Second Life as

a learning tool for nurse education”. In: Same places, different spaces:

proceedings Ascilite Auckland 2009. Figtree: ASCILITE.

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland09/procs/rogers.pdf

• Wiecha, J. et al. (2010) “Learning in a Virtual World: Experience With Using

Second Life for Medical Education. “ Journal of medical internet research,

12 (1). http://www.jmir.org/2010/1/e1/