Unimaginable Applications of Metaverse in the Field of Health

The point reached in health surprises most of us. In the past, if we had said, “One day, algorithms, machine learning systems and robots will be doctors’ greatest assistants,” we would not have believed and understood what was being said. However, it is very important to closely monitor new technologies that contribute or will contribute to health.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, which is breaking new ground in the health sector in various countries of the world; Technologies such as disease diagnosis, medical screening, record reading programs and drug development robots are used. Although it is not new, the contributions of Metaverse, which most of us have heard about recently, will make us ask the question “What awaits us in this process?”

USAGE AREAS OF TIPTA METAVERSE

With the use of Metaverse in medicine, examinations will be carried out remotely in an online environment, and doctors will be able to meet with doctors without going to the hospital in cases and diseases that do not require physical control. Various surgeries will be performed independently of location, time and physical ability, without the need for both doctors and patients to travel between countries. It is possible that the development of digital surgery will become more widespread with Metaverse. Here are the topics related to the reflections of the Metaverse universe on health:

It will be possible to simultaneously access meetings, conferences and various vocational trainings, where the developments in the field of medicine, which will be attended by doctors and doctor candidates, are explained.

Thanks to this effective and efficient online access support of Metaverse, collaborations and case studies that can be established between doctors, hospitals and medical research institutions will be paved. Various virtual medical discussion environments can be created to produce appropriate treatments.

Diagnosis and treatment processes of diseases that are difficult to treat, require rapid action and are life-threatening will thus become cheaper, easier and more accessible. This will relieve both doctors and patients from the burden of traveling and will enable the early diagnosis and diagnosis needed in the treatment of such diseases.

Healthcare professionals will be able to communicate continuously and effectively over Metaverse, thanks to their three-dimensional avatars, during the care of the sick and the elderly at home and in hospitals. At this point, being in contact with the health personnel will support the emotional state of the patients (especially the elderly who live alone).

In December 2019, St. George Hospital, the use of VR glasses has been shown to greatly reduce the anxiety of patients undergoing surgery while awake. 100 percent of patients stated that wearing VR glasses improved their overall hospital experience. 80 percent reported that they felt less pain after wearing the glasses, and 73 percent reported that their anxiety decreased. By allowing patients to meet with professionals or family members and friends over Metaverse during awake surgeries, these people will have the chance to reduce their anxiety levels and make the surgeries smooth.(Nasdaq – 2020)

SOME OF METAVERSE HEALTH APPLICATIONS

In 2019, CAE Healthcare integrated Microsoft HoloLens into its simulation-based training platform that enables doctors to deploy the world’s smallest heart pump under ultrasound guidance.

The Samsung Gear VR is designed to provide a simplified seamless VR experience for patients and specifically to assist with pain management. (Devices like Google, Cardboard, Facebook Oculus Rift and HTC Hive are also available.)

Osso VR is a VR-based surgical training and medical device training platform. ImmersiveTouch creates fully explorable 3D VR models from the patient’s own CT and MR data. Psious is a VR platform that provides support in psychology and mental health. (Nasdaq, 2020)

In collaboration with Facebook Reality Labs, Nexus Studios and WHO Academy (World Health Organization), a mobile learning application has been designed for healthcare professionals around the world fighting Covid-19. This project used AR technology to explain the appropriate techniques and sequence for putting on and taking off PPE. (CNBC – 2021)

UConn Health, the University of Connecticut’s medical center in Farmington, uses Oculus to train orthopedic surgery residents. Wearing “Oculus Quest” helmets, assistants can perform various surgical procedures in 3D in the virtual world. Because the process is done virtually, the system allows students to make mistakes and get feedback from the faculty to get them involved in their next attempt. (CNBC-2021)