The term “metaverse” is broad and includes a variety of technologies. Typically, it refers to a virtual world where users can communicate in real-time with other users in a computer-generated environment. With augmented reality (AR) gadgets, virtual reality (VR) headsets, or other interfaces, the metaverse enables users to have immersive and engaging experiences. They can socialize, shop, learn, play games, and even work. It can completely change how we interact with one another, communicate, and interact with digital content.
Metaverse is making its way into the healthcare sector. Scientists and researchers are adopting the metaverse as a platform for healthcare research and development to carry out healthcare studies in a virtual environment. By 2030, the global market for metaverse in healthcare is anticipated to develop at a CAGR of 35.28% and be worth $54.47 billion. The growing use of AR and VR platforms to carry out intricate surgical procedures with greater flexibility and precision is anticipated to accelerate market growth.
Application of Metaverse in Healthcare
Listed below are the main applications of metaverse in healthcare:
Virtual Hospitals
Transitioning to virtual reality will allow healthcare professionals to shorten wait times and improve access to care. Patients can enter virtual hospitals through digital avatars and immerse themselves there, like in the real world, receiving remote consultations from experienced professionals. Metaverse hospitals reimagine the experiences for patients who are visiting in person. Through the metaverse and virtual reality, they can visit their homes and other familiar places while staying inside the hospital and staying in touch with family and friends.
Blockchain
Healthcare providers, institutions, insurance companies, and even governmental bodies are set to be transformed by using the metaverse. Blockchain technology in healthcare could streamline the interactions of all of these parties, making transferring information essential to patient care simpler. The healthcare sector can employ blockchain technology to create a safe, decentralized platform for storing medical data. It also makes it easier for medical professionals to access blockchain medical records from anywhere while giving patients total ownership of their health data.
Surgery
The metaverse has given surgeons the power to collaborate in the same operating room regardless of location, combining their expertise for the patient’s benefit. This raises the likelihood that world-class surgeons will participate in the operation by allowing them to offer their specialized knowledge to challenging patients remotely. During surgery, virtual reality can also provide a detailed visualization of the patient’s body, which can help the surgeon better grasp the target organs and where to direct their tools.
Digital Twins
Digital twins have emerged as a mind-blowing technology in healthcare. They can transfer real-world objects into the metaverse and guarantee that the virtual copies accurately mirror their real-world counterparts. Digital twins are a game-changer for healthcare, improving and recreating hundreds of procedures for greater effectiveness, precision, and budgets.
Professionals can use digital twins to gain an independent copy of the setting, understand the environment, and model various scenarios. This greatly facilitates effective hospital management, personnel schedule optimization, and resource consumption optimization.
Doctors can more effectively arrange treatment for an individual patient and even predict how effective the treatment will be before the patient begins taking the medication, thanks to the digital twins of their patients. Digital twins for pharmaceuticals and devices give researchers more tools to test and refine their goods before beginning the manufacturing process.
Therapy
Teletherapy connects patients and therapists through video-conferencing services such as Zoom or Google Meets. Metaverse mental health therapy provides a completely immersive experience. The lifelike experience allows patients to see and communicate with their therapist.
This is a tremendous opportunity for the psychotherapy market because patients need to feel at ease to open up, and most individuals still prefer in-person encounters over virtual ones. The metaverse creates a graceful solution for this challenge because not everyone can be physically present in the same place as their therapist in our ever-changing reality.
VR for exposure therapy and addiction treatment is another significant metaverse application in this context. By simulating necessary real-world situations in safe environments, medical professionals can aid patients in overcoming their challenges.
Medical Education
The metaverse revolutionizes medical education. Thanks to VR/AR capabilities, students can now acquire hands-on experience before entering an operating room or beginning to engage with real patients. Students can understand the human body in depth thanks to anatomical models in the metaverse. Pre-planned educational scenarios aid in helping them grasp the abilities they’ll need in their future professions. Moreover, the dangers associated with conventional training are not present because all training takes place in a controlled setting.
Conclusion
The field of metaverse healthcare is still in its infancy. However, it is promising as it aims to improve care access and decrease errors in clinical settings. When providers start using metaverse technologies, the healthcare industry will make a huge shift towards a more efficient care delivery model.
