Spain Opens Second Life Clinic for Teens

Spanish health officials are opening a virtual clinic in the popular online world Second Life, where they plan to advise teens who are too shy to consult flesh-and-blood doctors, the Guardian reports. It will appear as a consultation room for now, but officials hope to expand the service and eventually “deal with problems of dermatology and psychology through a webcam," one doctor said.

“Teenagers do not often go to see the doctor,” said another doctor involved in the virtual clinic. “But this is an efficient and amusing tool to reach them because we can both use the same route. Even though they do not often suffer serious illnesses, they often expose themselves to risks which can develop into problems in the future.” (More doctor stories.)