Metaverse using VR/XR in the HealthCare Sector

The global Virtual Reality (VR) in healthcare market is projected to grow from $628.0 million in 2022 to $6.20 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 38.7%.?The healthcare industry leverages the technology due to the rise of geriatric population and the growing need in highly skilled?medical professionals.

It is becoming more apparent that using VR with its current capabilities can deliver many benefits for the Healthcare sector in general, especially in terms of medical education, training, and upskilling.

Now is one of the most exciting times to be a part of the vanguard of this new era where technologies like VR/XR , AI and Blockchain (Metaverse ) are at the brim of revolutionising the healthcare industry

Healthcare providers and patients agree that VR is a must for the healthcare industry :

82% of healthcare professionals say VR is an efficient tool for education,

and

62% of patients are ready to try VR as an alternative to routine care.

The key drivers of the growing VR adoption in healthcare are:

• Extreme demand for quality healthcare services.
• Need to reduce healthcare costs.
• Increased role of connected devices in the healthcare sector.

The metaverse solutions in healthcare can be of three types :-

• Non Immersive
• Semi-immersive
• Fully immersive

Below elaborated are some of the ways we can help bring your healthcare visions to life in the metaverse realm :-

Medical Education

Metaverse implementations transforms medical education because it provides a realistic environment to learn from experience and practice the knowledge. VR-based medical education proved to be?more effective ?than traditional methods?and safe for students and patients.

Anatomy learning

Highly realistic 3D models of bones, organs, tissues, blood vessels and muscles. Allows closer virtual inspection at any angle and significantly improves anatomy understanding.

Medical social skills learning

AI-based communication learning for nurses and physicians. Helps students develop communication mechanisms with different patients prior to real medical practice, thus improving the healthcare results of recent graduates.

Medical training

Simulation of a wide range of medical procedures for nurses, surgeons, ICU workers. Minimizes skill deficiency by enabling risk-free, hands-on practice.

Medical Training

When used for medical training, virtual reality solutions help prepare surgeons, physicians, and nurses for high-stress situations (e.g., emergencies, complex surgeries) and provide them with concise feedback. After passing the VR training, the healthcare professionals?report ?improved accuracy and confidence when dealing with high-risk conditions.

Surgery simulation

Simulation of an operating room environment. Helps surgeons gain practical skills and raise competence levels in safe environment.

Crisis simulation

Simulation of rare emergencies, accidents with multiple casualties, or disease outbreaks. Allows medical experts to develop automatic response behavior to low-frequency situations.

VR soft skills training using immersive technology is proven to deliver better learning outcomes that other forms of training can’t compete with:

• Accelerated Learning
• Confidence Building
• Emotional Engagement
• A Safe Place to Fail
• Measured Skill Improvement
• Better Remote Learning

Onboarding

Simulation of typical work environment for starting-out medical professionals. Helps to faster adjust to real job specifics and eliminates skill deficiency in risk-free conditions.

Use of medical equipment

Simulation of operating professional medical equipment. Minimizes training costs due to trainer-less guidance and lowers the learning curve.

Illustrating the uses and benefits of the latest medical equipment can be a challenge, especially if providers are unfamiliar with your technology. Presentations and still imagery can only do so much to bring your equipment to life. Use engaging 3D animation to show potential clients and business partners why they should use your medical equipment to treat their patients.

I feel that while the businesses continue to innovate and integrate latest technologies , it is important to access the potential future of metaverse and immersive technologies with regard to training , education and upskilling initiatives.

As we continue moving towards the next iteration of the internet, the Web 3.0 or otherwise referred to as the Metaverse, we can imagine non-emergency interactions, diagnostics, regular visits, and even guided rehabilitation and intervention happening in real-time, In a virtual setting that medical specialists and patients can access remotely without being physically present.?

With the advancement of VR hardware to match human-eye resolution, increase in processing powers and adaptation of lighter formfactor by the VR headset producers, as well as next generation haptics that can break the tactile barrier of current immersive technology, more Healthcare institutions would be opting in for VR to increase efficiency, optimize costs as well as reduce time required to help individual patients.?