Healthcare in the Metaverse; Gaming and virtual reality.

The metaverse is an interesting and innovative initiative that seeks to go a long way in solving a lot of problems with the use of technology.

The metaverse is an augmented virtual reality world obtained by trying to merge virtual and physical spaces. This in turn leads to creating experiences that allow individuals to engage and participate in virtual activities in a realistic manner. The metaverse is still evolving, however, it holds a lot of opportunities for the healthcare industry. It combines an array of different technologies to improve certain practices obtainable in the healthcare space currently. Artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual realities, internet of medical devices, web 3.0, intelligent cloud and robotics are some of the many technologies available for adoption by healthcare in the metaverse.

Some of the ways through which components of the metaverse will be applicable in medicine include:

Medical Training

Medical schools across the world currently use different methods to teach and explain certain concepts to their students. Some of these methods include the use of cadavers, and real life patients to test certain procedures and to teach. This method can be breached with the use of digital twins who can act as digital dummies and can be used to test procedures, study recovery processes, test run surgeries and most importantly teach students.

Telemedicine

This is the provision of medicine as a remote service. Here, consultations can be carried out and patients can be attended to without physical contact. This is obtainable and currently being practised in a lot of countries across the world. Before the pandemic, it wasn’t really prevalent. However, due to the constraints brought about by the nature of the virus, a lot of health practitioners had to adopt this and it is here to stay. However, the metaverse will take this a notch higher through the use of augmented and virtual realities. This will make the experience of virtual consultations more realistic and better.

Surgical Operations

The use of robotics is currently being explored in the field of surgery. However, there is a need for increased precision. This is a problem that can be solved with the use of various technologies in the metaverse.

The amalgamation of augmented, virtual and mixed realities allow for visualisation of a patient’s anatomy in 3D. This allows surgeons to prepare and interpret surgical plans, understand all the things that could go wrong and adequately prepare for them.It also gives more room for other members of the surgical team to properly understand every detail of the surgery and know when to come in if need be. For example, a lot of surgical patients bleed out on the table because the surgeons cannot visualise the source of the bleeding and they run out of time trying to look through all the organs situated around the surgery field. This will go a long way in increasing the number of better outcomes in surgeries as even the most complicated surgeries will be properly understood, planned and prepared for.

Mental Health

Technology has modified and improved the way we support and care for our relatives and friends during a mental breakdown. However, through the use of the various technologies in the metaverse, people living with mental illnesses can be properly cared for.

Dr. Daria Kuss is the Lead for the Cyberpsychology Research Group at Nottingham Trent University. “We know that particular psychotherapy formats, notably virtual reality exposure therapy, can be fantastic tools to help individuals affected by a variety of phobias, depression, psychosis, addiction, eating disorders as well as post-traumatic stress disorder by gradually exposing them to the triggering, feared, or trauma-producing stimulus in a safe space (like the virtual environment),” she says.

Over the years, some simulations of the various kinds of realities have existed in the past. These have been used to create communities for people living with mental illnesses. They existed in forms of games that allowed these individuals to interact with and play with one another. A lot of them testified that these virtually real communities went a long way in making them feel better. They felt seen, understood and even more cared for as they could relate and interact with people who shared similar or the same illnesses as them.

Gaming in Healthcare

Video games have been known as just a fun activity over the years. However, it holds a lot of potential and can be used to treat and manage certain kinds of illnesses.
For instance, while playing different games, individuals unlock different levels which signifies progress in that game. This concept has been adopted by some health applications, as users of the apps complete certain activities, new levels of progress are unlocked. This is particularly useful in physical fitness and mental health apps.

The concept of active-video games is also currently being used to manage obesity. These games encourage individuals to exert themselves physically while simply playing games. This is quite an interesting and useful concept as the aim of physical exercise is being achieved while the participants are simply having fun playing games.

Video games have also been used to distract patients from acute or chronic pain in real time.
Some studies have been carried out to test the efficacy and feasibility of this kind of treatment and they have provided strong evidence supporting VR based games in providing analgesia with minimal side effects and little impact on the physical hospital environment, as well as its reusability and versatility, suggesting another option in the management of acute pain especially in children.

Cloud Gaming

Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or gaming-as-a-service, is a type of online gaming that runs video games on remote servers and streams them directly to a user’s device, or more colloquially, playing a game remotely from a cloud. It contrasts with traditional means of gaming, wherein a game runs locally on a user’s video game console, personal computer, or mobile device.

Training in medical schools, and hospitals is one challenge in the healthcare sector. Of course face to face lessons are effective in training but resources often become limited. While in person training is valuable, alternatives are needed and the recent pandemic has further increased that need. The answer to this would come from the video games industry. The technology can be leveraged to improve surgical training outside of the operating room.
Cloud based video game technology have been continually explored since 2019, but the pandemic accelerated those efforts. Level Ex remote play marks the first time this technology is being used in the healthcare space.
With this, Surgeons and trainers can collaborate in the virtual Operating room without having to be in the same physical space. Users can access this environment on any mobile or desktop web browser by simply clicking on a link or scanning a QR code, with no app or software to download.

The possible simulations are endless and this is truly a breakthrough for surgical training and healthcare.

Near Metaverse
To enter the Near Metaverse, click on the link below
https://nearhub.club

We can visit this site to see the different locations in near metaverse. All you have to do is connect your near wallet and join an existing room or create your own room.

The future is $Near.

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