The metaverse, also known as Internet 3.0, is a step forward in people’s ability to maintain meaningful social relationships across vast distances and cultural divides. The medical industry is only one sector that stands to benefit from the revolutionary changes that the Metaverse is bringing.
Telehealth services have become an integral element of the patient-doctor relationship through the use of digital means and the Internet, which is a major shift from the traditional model of healthcare delivery, which has relied on face-to-face contact between the patient and the doctor for decades.
Nonetheless, with the advent of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), which opens up inconceivable new avenues, digital health solutions are soon to take on a size and scope never before seen.
The Metaverse is the coming together of three distinct technological revolutions, all of which have the potential to change the healthcare system. Technologies such as Telepresence, Digital Twining, and Blockchain fall within this category. Together, they may create entirely new avenues for administering care, which could improve health outcomes at lower cost.
The idea of the Metaverse holds great potential, as it provides a radically different framework for social interaction and connection among people. Facebook’s recent rebranding as Meta reflects the company’s forward-thinking outlook and its confidence that Metaverse will have an effect on Internet use in the future.
Potentials of Metaverse in Healthcare
The potential of the concept of Metaverse is enormous, as it offers a novel way for people to communicate and form relationships. Facebook’s recent name change to Meta demonstrates the company’s foresight in anticipating the future of the Internet and its belief that the Metaverse would play a major role in this evolution.
It’s true that Facebook has spent years developing new methods of creating interactive platforms, including virtual and augmented reality.
By purchasing VR headset maker Oculus, the corporation signaled its intent to move in this route.
Since it currently has a robust social networking infrastructure, Facebook has tremendous potential to incorporate Metaverse in healthcare.
Metaverse Technology Will Transform Surgery
Many smaller companies are investing in digital healthcare, whether it be to improve the telemedicine experience through augmented reality or to make other medical experiences more convenient and safe for patients, and major players like Intuitive Surgical, known for its robot-assisted surgery system, have tremendous potential for transitioning to virtual reality.
However, there are substantial obstacles that these businesses will inevitably face, the most significant of which is bridging the gap between the virtual and physical worlds. Furthermore, many clinical trials will be required to determine whether or not this technology is safe for use in patient care and how it might be implemented.
It’s possible that surgeons in the future may be able to hold meetings in a digital operating room and perform procedures together with the help of outside physicians and specialists.
I assume that the surgeon’s vitals, photos, and history are displayed on a screen above the patient’s body, and that he may simply switch between different patients’ records.
Incorporating virtual tools into surgical procedures like this would save time and give doctors more control.
Metaverse Will Transform Patient Visits & Support
One of the most promising applications of the metaverse to healthcare is the possibility of virtual doctor visits; after all, not every patient needs to be seen in person, and some may want to speak with a specialist instead.
With the global proliferation of telemedicine and teleconsultation services, the metaverse is poised to alter the traditional practice of in-person doctor appointments.
While it’s true that telemedicine isn’t yet practical for all fields of medicine, many in-person consultations can be conducted digitally with the help of today’s cutting-edge tools.
Teleconsultation services are predicted to vastly improve thanks to Metaverse’s addition of a virtual office, where patients and doctors can meet in a 3D clinic or any other location.
Digital medicines is a promising use case for the metaverse. There have been many developments in this field, particularly in the form of mental health applications; hence, I can now meet with my psychiatrist virtually in a new setting for each of our sessions. Wow, that’s fantastic.
In the future, we may spend time with our virtual nurse or personal assistant, who can keep me updated on everything that’s happening and stay in touch with me through notifications; I’ll just need to put on my glasses whenever I get a ping and we can have a conversation about my current health status or any other relevant details.
Problems Associated with Using Metaverse in Healthcare
Safety and Confidentiality in the Virtual World
Patient data protection in the metaverse is an additional obstacle. Privacy issues and the products and services offered by cyber security firms are gaining in importance as our global community becomes more tech-reliant.
Healthcare data breaches are among the most common types of cybercrime, and the cost of this information is among the highest of any industry.
There has been an increase in patients’ awareness of the importance of keeping their healthcare information private and secure, along with corresponding worries and a heightened awareness of the nature of this information as sensitive data.
Rising Prices of Technology
High-tech hardware, such as glasses, gloves, sensors, and other wearables that can monitor patients’ vital signs, is required to realize the full potential of the metaverse in healthcare.
However, not everyone can afford the equipment just yet, and hence the technology is only used by a select few.
This innovation will be accessible only to the wealthy, and its equipment will forever develop and advance.
As a result, taking use of the new capabilities will necessitate investing in new equipment in tandem with the development; for example, cellphones are virtually always updated more frequently than once per year.
In addition, healthcare providers can anticipate spending a sizable sum on infrastructure, as cutting-edge connectivity, such as 5G, is essential for surgical procedures.
Interoperability
Even in the most developed healthcare systems, interoperability remains one of the primary digital health concerns worldwide.
The likelihood of widespread adoption of metaverse increases if it is capable of resolving the interoperability problem by bringing together disparate healthcare technology and making the resulting data and patient histories available at any time, from any location.
Final Thoughts
If the innovations brought by metaverse technology in the medical field are up to par with people’s hopes and dreams, healthcare delivery will be revolutionized in the not-too-distant future.You can promote innovative medical education, surgery, medical treatment, and online health management with the help of a metaverse development company.
At the end of the day, businesses will need to find out how to develop this technology in a way that is both patient-safe and considerate of human needs.
Virtual reality (VR) solutions in the metaverse can help with both the treatment of symptoms and the underlying medical problem that is producing them.
