Building a Virtual Environment for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Behavioral Science
• Virtual Environments

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes requires ongoing self-management education and support.
• Traditional methods may not fully engage all adult learners.
• Virtual environments offer novel platforms for health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development procedures for an immersive virtual community for type 2 diabetes self-management.
• To outline the application of theoretical frameworks and usability principles in VE design.
• To report on the successful creation and utilization of a virtual diabetes community.

Main Methods:

• Development of a virtual environment (VE) named Second Life Impacts Diabetes Education & Self-Management (SLIDES) within Second Life.
• Application of Social Cognitive Theory, behavioral principles, and usability factors in VE design.
• Collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and IT specialists throughout the development process.

Main Results:

• A functional and interactive virtual community (SLIDES) was successfully developed.
• The VE was utilized to deliver diabetes self-management education and support to adults with type 2 diabetes.
• The development process integrated theoretical, behavioral, and technical expertise.

Conclusions:

• Virtual environments can be effectively utilized for diabetes self-management education and support.
• Successful development requires significant effort, expertise, and consideration of usability.
• VEs represent an innovative and potentially engaging approach for healthcare consumers.