Using virtual reality to provide nutritional support to HIV+ women

South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in the world. Health sector resources are limited and novel approaches to providing timely, accurate information are vital. Nutritional support and care has been recognized as an important aspect of HIV care. We developed a prototype virtual environment (VE) to provide nutritional information, and tested it at a government clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. 9 HIV+ women explored the VE and were interviewed after their experience. Despite the sample’s low computer literacy, the system was found to be usable and enjoyable. The information provided by the system was rated highly for quality by the test group, although the amount was found to be lacking. In general, it seems that the system will be a useful adjunct to peer support groups as a way to disseminate relevant medical knowledge