Diabetes Second Life: A virtual world to support an underserved population

描述(由申请人提供)：本申请涉及以下主要的广泛挑战领域和具体挑战主题：广泛挑战领域(05)比较有效性研究(CER)和特定挑战主题05-LM-104“虚拟现实”互动在改善糖尿病治疗方案依从性方面的价值。糖尿病，特别是2型糖尿病，已经被确认为美国的一种流行病，而且患病率还在继续增长。糖尿病的负担，包括患病率和并发症风险，对低收入个人和少数群体来说更大，特别是非裔美国人。2010年健康人报告指出，糖尿病的负担可以通过促进最佳自我管理来减轻。互联网提供了一种新的方法来接触到大量患有糖尿病的人群，同时消除了服务不足人群中经常出现的障碍，并控制了成本。特别是第二人生，这是使用最频繁的虚拟世界环境，在全球拥有690万注册用户，为接触糖尿病患者提供了一个独特的机会。这项研究的目的是开发、实施和评估第二人生虚拟现实干预的可行性、可接受性和影响，旨在提供糖尿病自我管理教育、培训和支持，以促进在初级保健诊所就诊的低收入2型糖尿病非裔美国人的最佳糖尿病自我管理。这项研究将涉及为患有2型糖尿病的非裔美国成年人量身定做的糖尿病第二人生(DSL)干预措施的开发和评估。这一干预措施在虚拟世界中提供了一系列互动的情景体验，将培训他们基本的糖尿病自我护理和解决问题，并间歇性地与多学科卫生保健专业人员进行互动，以及与其他糖尿病患者进行互动。可行性、可接受性和使用参数将通过参与者与DSL干预的互动进行检查。在FQHC接受初级保健服务的低收入非裔美国成年人中，将通过重复测量来检查心理社会、行为和A1C结果。如果有效，这种干预措施有可能很容易扩展到其他人群，并很容易在服务于不同人群的其他初级保健诊所实施。。糖尿病已被确认为美国的一种流行病，糖尿病的负担，包括患病率和并发症风险，对低收入个人和少数群体来说更大，包括非裔美国人。2010年健康人报告指出，糖尿病的负担可以通过促进最佳自我管理来减轻，而互联网，特别是虚拟世界，为接触到大量糖尿病患者提供了一种新的方法。这项研究将考察使用第二人生来帮助教育和支持服务不足的糖尿病群体的影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application addresses the following primary broad Challenge Areas and Specific Challenge Topics: Broad Challenge Area (05) Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) and Specific Challenge Topic 05-LM-104 "Value of "Virtual Reality" Interaction in Improving Compliance with Diabetic Regimen. Diabetes, especially type 2, has been identified as an epidemic in the U. S. and is continuing to grow in prevalence. The burden of diabetes, including prevalence and risk of complications, is greater for low-income individuals and minority groups, especially African Americans. The Healthy People 2010 report notes that the burden of diabetes can be reduced through facilitating optimal self-management. The internet offers a new approach to reaching large populations with diabetes, while removing barriers often seen in underserved populations and managing costs. In particular, Second Life, the most frequently used virtual world environment, with 6.9 million registered users worldwide offers a unique opportunity for reaching people with diabetes. The purpose of this study is to develop, implement, and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a Second Life virtual reality intervention designed to provide diabetes self-management education, training, and support to facilitate optimal diabetes self- management in low-income African Americans with type 2 diabetes attending primary care clinics. This study will involve the development and evaluation of a Diabetes Second Life (DSL) intervention tailored for African American adults with type 2 diabetes. This intervention provides a series of interactive contextual experiences in a virtual world that will train them in basic diabetes self-care and problem solving mixed with intermittent educational interactions with multidisciplinary health care professionals and interactions with others with diabetes. Feasibility, acceptability, and parameters of use will be examined through the participants' interactions with the DSL intervention. Psychosocial, behavioral, and A1C outcomes will be examined across repeated measurements in a population of low income African American Adults receiving primary care services at a FQHC. If effective, this intervention has the potential to be easily expanded for other populations and to be easily implemented in other primary care clinics serving diverse populations. . Diabetes has been identified as an epidemic in the U. S. and the burden of diabetes, including prevalence and risk of complications, is greater for low-income individuals and minority groups, including African Americans. The Healthy People 2010 report notes that the burden of diabetes can be reduced through facilitating optimal self-management and the internet, especially virtual worlds, offers a new approach to reaching large populations with diabetes. This study will examine the impact of using Second Life to help educate and support underserved groups with diabetes.