Portia Ysabel

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.