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 First Real-Time, Interactive Healthcare Conference Held in Second Life, Featuring Panel From 'Real Life' Partners Connected Health Conference Second Life: Healthcare Enters the Virtual World

BOSTON, Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, is bridging the gap between the real world and the virtual 'metaverse' that is Second Life, with the first real-time, interactive healthcare conference to take place in both worlds.

As part of the Center's annual Connected Health symposium, October 22-23 at Harvard Medical's Conference Center, live sessions on healthcare and technology, disease management and patient-centered care, will be streamed into the 'Connected Health Island' in Second Life.

While live video of the entire conference will be available to view, there will also be the opportunity to attend a live and interactive simulcast of the panel specifically focused on healthcare and its place in the virtual world.

The Center for Connected Health has built a virtual conference facility on their island which, for this event, will house the conference panel members and any Second Life residents who wish to join as a virtual audience member.

Each panel member will control their own animated figure, known as an avatar, from their seat at the Harvard Medical Conference Center in Boston.

Conference participants in Boston will watch the panel, in real time, while the very same presentation will be taking place on the Connected HealthIsland in Second Life. This creates a shared space for both the virtual and real life audience members. This uniquely tailored third space allows people, regardless of physical location, the opportunity to interact, while they view the conference, ask questions and learn about how technology is

changing healthcare delivery.

"Second Life offers a rich communications environment and, in some ways, may provide a more caring, safe atmosphere for the exchange of healthcare information," said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, founder and director of the Center for Connected Health.

"We are seriously exploring the value of offering healthcare information, support services and communications vehicles via the virtual world. For some patient populations, this may be an extremely effective solution to some very real healthcare challenges.

"Expanding our annual symposium into Second Life will enrich the experience of our live participants, expand the reach of the event to a new demographic of health care consumers, and reiterate the message of connected health - that health care can be made available to anyone, anywhere through the use of technology," Kvedar added.

As part of panel discussion entitled Second Life: Healthcare Enters the Virtual World, each panelist will be represented in the virtual world by a personalized avatar:

-- Joseph C. Kvedar, MD. Director, Center for Connected Health, Partners

HealthCare

-- John Lester, Boston Operations Director, Linden Lab

-- Daniel Hoch, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

-- Roger Edwards, ScD, Managing Consultant, PA Consulting Group

-- Karen Gans, PhD, patient advocate

This groundbreaking session will take place on Monday, October 22, from 10:00 to 11:00 am, or can be viewed on Second Life. For more information or to register for the conference, please visit

http://www.connected-health.org.

Second Life, created by Linden Lab, is a 3D virtual world entirely built and owned by its 'Residents.' Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by nearly 10 million Residents from around the globe.

About the Center for Connected Health

The Center for Connected Health (formerly Partners Telemedicine), a division of Partners HealthCare, is a leader in the use of technology to deliver quality patient care outside of the medical setting. Based in Boston, the Center for Connected Health is applying consumer technologies and online resources in innovative ways, to increase access and improve

quality medical services and patient care.

The Center for Connected Health also offers expert online second opinions and facilitates enhanced medical education and training through Internet technologies. Visit http://www.connected-health.org.

Boston-based Partners HealthCare is an integrated health system founded in 1994 by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. In addition to its two academic medical centers, the Partners system also includes community and specialty hospitals, community health centers, a physician network, home health and long-term care services, and other

health- related entities.

Partners is one of the nation's leading biomedical research organizations and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Partners is a non-profit organization. Visit http://www.partners.org.