In recent years, one of the most exciting developments in technology has been the rise of 3D, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality technologies.
From gaming to education, this tech seems poised to completely change the way we view the world around us—and that’s not an overstatement.
Some industries have already begun to embrace this technology, but there are still plenty of ways these metaverse technologies can make our lives and health better.
Metaverse for treatment and illness prevention
Doctors in the metaverse can visit their patients in a 3D virtual clinic using telemedicine services.
Patients could have a virtual avatar that they would use to interact with their doctors so that they may not have to leave their homes to see their physicians.
They could also bring themselves into an examination room where a doctor could examine them without having to be present in the same physical space.
Different devices can be used to monitor health conditions, connecting real life with the virtual world.
The monitoring of the clinical aspect can be adopted by different instruments that evaluate the patient’s health, such as the cardiovascular system, oxygen levels, blood glucose, etc.
Moreover, virtual reality could be adopted for pre-operative planning
by analysing the situation in 3D, and connecting with other experts through the internet.
Metaverse and health promotion, training & education
Metaverse will allow students to have a space to train virtually and interact with each other, patients, doctors, nurses, etc.
The metaverse will also offer an avenue for health promotion, training & education.
Virtual reality can provide a broad range of training to medical care professionals to simulate and control different situations that are difficult to duplicate in real life in surgery, cardiology, or even neurology.
The overlap of visuals and virtual objects in the context of the real world can help visualise the internal organs and structures of a real body.
Virtual rooms allow people to reach each other everywhere in the world (even in remote locations), thus standardising and extending healthcare education.
This could help decrease the disparity in the education of future medical students.
Metaverse and mental health
It has been well-documented that many people suffering from mental illness avoid seeking help for a variety of reasons.
Many patients are fearful of the stigma attached to mental illness; others may not be able to afford the cost of therapy or don’t know where to look for assistance, while some are simply too overwhelmed by their mental health issues to do anything about them.
These obstacles make it difficult for people who need help to receive it.
But what if there was an anonymous virtual realm that could serve as a comfortable place where people could share stories about their mental state – a place where the stigma is lessened, and those in need can find valuable resources like support groups, therapists, and even solutions?
One such place is the metaverse.
The metaverse can be effective in helping people who are struggling with mental health challenges.
Additionally, as the metaverse can create illusory experiences, it can help patients deal with hallucinations, psychosis, and anxiety issues.
Metaverse and research
Virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality are all emerging technologies that will shape the way we view health care in the future.
The metaverse can help collect a huge amount of health information critical for worldwide research, but it can also be used to provide more personalised health care.
The recorded data could be used to create international monitoring and surveillance systems that researchers could utilise for their studies.
Final remarks
The metaverse can provide a more immersive environment than today’s healthcare industry.
Yet, like any powerful technology, it is not without risks.
We need to make sure we are building virtual worlds that are safe and healthy spaces for all users.
We must also ensure that the privacy of patients is protected at every stage of their care process.
Ultimately, the metaverse cannot substitute the real world as physical and eye contact are essential in healthcare.
However, the metaverse could be a tool to improve the quality of the health care system in terms of treatment, the education of young medical students, and helping the research to create world databases.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1050173822000718
