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Can I open a medical practice in second life?


AstasiaAbasia
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I am a doctor in real life.  I'm imagining people coming to me with their medical problems for consultation.  I have no license to practice medicine in second life because there isn't a regulatory body to issue one.  I'm interested in the ethical and legal problems that would arise.  Of course, it would be irresponsible to start giving people medical advise on line though I do this for complete strangers in real life on a fairly regular basis once they find out I'm a doctor and start asking me questions about this or that ailment.

 

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As a physician, you are (or should be) more familiar with the ethical standards of your profession than we are.  Being a doctor involves more than having medical knowledge.  It is a position of trust.  Personally, I cannot imagine sharing my medical concerns with someone who just says that he is a doctor.  Aside from the privacy and confidentiality issues, I would worry about the reliability of the medical advice I was receiving. You are quite right that "Of course, it would be irresponsible to start giving people medical advise on line." There are many places in SL (like Health Info Island) where you can go to find generic medical information or to learn about public health issues, but that's quite different from going to a virtual office for specific medical advice about your own concerns.  At the very least, talk this over with your own medical colleagues and see what the AMA may have to say about the idea.

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After you talk to associates, talk to an attorney. SL is governed by RL law. Your country's laws extend into SL plus international laws extend into SL.

What is your liability in India or China? Do they see you are a rich American or European that may be an excellent law suit target?

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Yes, you can open a medical practice in SL...Just buy some land, build a clinic, and put your place in the search-function.

Be prepared though, that a lot of residents will think your practice is a part of a roleplay, including sex-games, as there are already hospitals and clinics here, where you can live your fantasies about nurses and handsome doctors in white, and have fun.

Personally I think, it is not worth the effort....When people find out you are serious, I think they will lose interest...But that is - of course - just my guess :)

Good luck......

 

(and if someone gets very sick, because you gave some advice, without having examined the body in real at all...I would really not want to be in your shoes....)

 

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First, do you really want to offer medical advice based only on what the patient tells you, sight unseen, no labs, etc? Second, I know that telemedicine is becoming quite regulated, as it should be. Many states are actually requiring providers of all types to be licensed in the state where the patient is located, not where the provider is located. The regulations are quite clear on requirements as to whether you can communicate with the patient via phone, internet, real time face to face video, etc. Some states specify that you must have at least one in person visit, then you can provide follow up via telemedicine. Some of the regulations state that you must have a specific type of professional present on the patient's end during the encounter. Since SL is internet based, I would think it qualifies as telemedicine. I know that some institutions and organizations provide general health information via SL, and that's great. It's certainly intriguing to think of using SL as a platform to help people, and I have thought of it myself. But, if I were considering offering actual medical advice, I would be careful to check out the legal issues first.

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