Everything related to the metaverse is now a trending, hot topic & everyone related to technology wants to interrelate with this virtual world. Though the metaverse is still under development, its popularity is increasing immersively for every sector- gaming, entertainment, socializing, healthcare, business, shopping, traveling & whatnot in the metaverse space.

Though virtual reality has been already used in the healthcare sector for the long term in the metaverse, it is going to be an extension of augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence & mixed reality technology. Glasses like Oculus & Hololens from Facebook & Microsoft are being used as key medical equipment. Alongside, medical device companies are utilizing mixed reality(MR) for combining surgical tools & design operating rooms. During the Covid-19 crisis, WHO has been using AR to connect with Covid-19 responders. Also, psychiatrists use VR technology to treat post-traumatic stress. So, in the metaverse, people are going to get a combined service utilizing all these technologies in a more convenient way. 

In this section, I am going to share some insights that how amazing possibilities of healthcare you are going to enjoy through metaverse in near future.

 

How Metaverse Is Going To Serve In Healthcare?

3D Telemedicine Will Make Consultancy Easy

Telemedicine has gained a lot of popularity & attraction during Covid. Before that, only a few healthcare providers catered to remote medical facilities for their patients & now the percentage has grown to 95%.  In metaverse, patients can visit a doctor’s virtual office or physician & patients will meet in a 3D clinic & can discuss their problems from any corner of the world. This approach will significantly help to improve clients' experience. Using virtual reality now you can actually be there virtually other than using their social media, website, or messaging facilities. 

With this consultancy approach, people don’t have to travel from one place to another to find a good doctor. If you are in BD & want to take consultancy from a clinic in Europe, simply put the headset & you are in the same room of that clinic.

 

Digital Twins For Patients 

In metaverse space, you will get to introduce digital twins, which is basically a simulation or virtual model that will be generated based on real-time activities & data. This digital twin will play the patient's role. These avatars will be used to predict how patients will react after recovering from surgery & how they will react to specific medicines. 

Digital twin technology will provide - diagnosis & treatment, optimized preventative care, optimized surgery preparation & so on. For surgical operation, this digital twin technology will impact the metaverse. It will enable the surgeon to point out the surgery points in the simulation’s anatomy. Alongside, doctors can do experimental techniques before they will apply them to real-human bodies.

 

Conduct Medical Training Through Metaverse

Though companies have been using VR technologies in various aspects of healthcare like organizing medical training in the metaverse, it will be a big combination of  AR, VR, and AI to cater more real-time & effective solutions to the medical staff. 

The goal of healthcare in the metaverse is that - bringing world-class medical professionals under one roof( metaverse) & allow them to interact in real. Like there has a huge potential for surgical training as many companies already create virtual organs & this will add to the metaverse. In near future, metaverse will allow medical students to have a simulated body to perform surgical operations with a full-scale view. Also, Augmented reality will help them with better learning, and apply new medical technologies before being applied to the human body.

 

Blockchain Technology To Secure Health Records

Blockchain is a decentralized, distributed & encrypted database. Blockchain is a technology that refers to a system of storing information & transfer them securely. Now it is an integral part of the metaverse as it is a place of user’s data processing and also a record of digital ownership of objects in the digital domain. In the medical sector, a common aspect is storing high-value health data. These data are shared with multiple organizations is risky & inappropriate. All the data are being stored in a centralized database which means there is a high chance of the database getting hacked. Also for the legitimate usage showing health reports to another hospital is quite a tedious & lengthy process indeed.

In the blockchain, having your health record file secured in a block that is unhackable is a big change in the metaverse. Just giving a click, you can allow any clinician around the world to review your records conveniently.

Apart from all these points, there are several aspects of healthcare that are going to be highly optimized by the technology used in Metaverse space. At the initial stage, people have to face some difficulties & hurdles to take medicare in this virtual world but it will be all worthy of the advancements use of technology. However, I think health leaders should invest in the metaverse, continue to explore the new ways of giving facilities to the patients & make the space accessible for all.

 

The book "Metaverse - The Future Is Here" is the definitive guide to learning about the emerging technology Metaverse. You will find in-depth information on the origins of the Metaverse, its evolution, how we can access it, the different Metverse platforms available, and the technologies powering it; apart from the basics, the book also elaborates on how businesses can enter the Metaverse, various marketing strategies, its use cases for various industries, social and legal implications, and discusses what Metaverse in the future will look like.

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