The applicant is the developer of an innovative voice-activated multimedia model that allows a user to conduct a virtual interview with a real person whose video images have been digitized and stored on a personal computer (PC). The user simply speaks naturally into a microphone attached to the PC to engage the pre-stored video character in a face-to face virtual dialogue. The objective here is to create a virtual dialogue program that allows any male to talk to a notable urologist and learn about prostate cancer. Men who use the program will understand the importance of early detection and that the preservation of their life and life-style may depend on their active participation in the complicated therapeutic decisions that must be made following a diagnosis. The virtual dialogue program featuring the prominent urologist will be field-tested in a clinical environment to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of this as a method for men to learn about prostate cancer.
