The use of the metaverse in the medical field is expanding. It is estimated that by utilizing 5G and new technologies, the growth rate of the Metaverse will be over 30% by 2030.
Therefore, in this article, we will explain why the Metaverse is attracting attention in the medical field, what the challenges are in promoting it, and examples of what has been done to date.
Metaverse is expected to grow by more than 30% by 2030 in the medical field
The use of the metaverse is attracting attention in the medical field. This is because the use of virtual space is thought to have a wide range of uses, such as enabling medical procedures that would be difficult in the real world, and medical examinations using avatars.
In 2021, the market size of Metaverse in healthcare was not very large. However, in the medical field, the metaverse is expected to grow significantly by 2030, as it is believed that it can be used in a wide variety of ways.
The use of the Metaverse in the medical industry is expanding, with examples of surgeries being performed using AR smart glasses.
Why metaverse medicine is attracting attention
There are three reasons why metaverse medicine is attracting attention. Let’s look at them one by one.
Introduction can eliminate regional disparities in medical quality
In recent years, “medical disparities” have been occurring all over the world, including Japan.
For example, medical institutions are concentrated only in urban areas, making it difficult to receive advanced medical care in rural areas. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare’s “Measures to prevent uneven distribution of doctors”, the regional uneven distribution of doctors continues, and some regions are experiencing a shortage of doctors.
Metaverse is also expected to solve these problems. This is because VR space not only allows us to connect with people around the world in real time, but also makes it easier to provide medical services to patients in remote areas. Therefore, we can expect to eliminate regional disparities in the quality of medical care.
Advances in 5G and communication technology have made real-time remote surgery possible.
In the field of digital medicine, it is expected that paper prescriptions will disappear in the next few decades and transition to digital treatment in the metaverse space.
In order to perform digital medicine using this metaverse space without any problems, an environment is required that allows for high-speed and high-capacity communication without problems.
What is expected of this is the communication technology called 5G. It has the characteristics of “high-capacity, high-speed communication,” “high reliability and low latency,” and “multiple simultaneous connections.”
Even now, it has a proven track record of being used for real-time remote control of surgical support robots.
5G, which is capable of faster speeds and higher capacity communications, is said to be able to be used in digital medicine, and is expected to become a new field of digital medicine.
Metaverse medical care has become a system that is easy for patients to consult.
In the Metaverse space, you create an “avatar” that is your alter ego and communicate with it.
Communication using this avatar is attracting attention as a system that makes it easy for patients to consult.
Kohei Yoshioka, a psychiatrist who runs Metaverse Clinic, a medical consultation community on the Metaverse, says the following.
“I feel that in the metaverse space where we use alter egos called avatars, it is easier to self-disclose because there is no need to actually communicate face-to-face.”
Currently, we are using the Metaverse space as a place for consultation rather than medical treatment, but I believe that by making it a place for communication, it will be easier for patients to seek advice.
In this way, metaverse medicine is also beneficial to patients.
Three medical fields aiming to utilize the metaverse
The three specific medical fields that aim to utilize the metaverse include:
- Medical (VR training)
- Pharmaceuticals (sharing of medical product information)
- Drug discovery (time and cost reduction)
Medical (VR training)
In the medical field, the metaverse of VR training is being utilized.
Specifically, this includes training for surgeons regarding surgical procedures and social skills training.
For example, in the United States, we prepare a real surgical scenario, create a virtual operating room in the metaverse space, and actually perform the procedure in that space.
The virtual operating room also helps in training for complex procedures. Additionally, in Japan, Jolly Good Inc. is conducting social skills training on developmental disorders on Metaverse.
We have progressed to the stage where we can promote lifestyle support and employment support for patients.
Pharmaceuticals (sharing of medical product information)
In the pharmaceutical industry , the Metaverse is being used as a place to share medical product information and support communication between doctors and patients.
Specifically, we are using virtual MR to effectively share medical product information.
For example, at Tsumura Co., Ltd., a major pharmaceutical company, AI presents content that matches the story to medical professionals in a 3D version of MR.
Additionally, Astellas Pharma Inc. has begun experimenting with using virtual MR to project patients’ skeletal information in 3D into the real world. For example, it has the benefit of making it easier for patients to understand their own health status when they see their bone density decreasing.
Drug discovery (time and cost reduction)
Drug discovery is always time-consuming and costly. Metaverse is being used to reduce the time and cost of drug discovery.
At Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., researchers use the software “Nanomu” to discover drugs in the metaverse.
Things that could only be confirmed in two dimensions can now be confirmed in 3D models down to the atomic level, making it possible to create new ideas and test whether they are actually effective in the metaverse space, something never seen before. It provides a sense of speed.
How will the two types of telemedicine (including metaverse medicine) change with 5G?
There are two types of telemedicine. The first is medical care in which doctors and patients in remote locations use tools to communicate in real time.
The other is D to D (Doctor to Doctor), in which other doctors provide online support for the medical care of doctors in remote locations, and D to P (Doctor to Patient), in which doctors provide medical care directly to patients.
In this chapter, we will explain how these telemedicine systems will change with 5G.
D to D (Doctor to Doctor)
D to D (Doctor to Doctor) is when doctors in remote locations use online technology to support doctors who are actually providing medical care.
Real-time support is essential for doctors who are actually providing medical care. For example, when providing support to doctors providing medical care at a disaster site, every minute can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.
Utilizing 5G will enable high-speed communication, making it possible to provide support without time lag. The result is faster medical care for patients.
D to Patient (Doctor to Doctor)
D to P (Doctor to Patient) is when a doctor in a remote location actually provides medical care to a patient. Currently, online medical consultations are still being conducted, but they are limited to interviewing and almost no actual medical care is provided.
This is because patient data is exchanged when actually providing medical care. This patient data will be large in volume, so the use of 5G is essential. By utilizing 5G, data can be exchanged smoothly in real time and can be expected to be useful in actual medical care.
There are two issues that need to be resolved in promoting metaverse medicine.
Although it is certain that metaverse medicine will continue to expand in the future, there are still issues that need to be resolved. Let’s take a closer look at these two issues.
Safety issues
First, there is the issue of safety. When actually performing medical treatment, a multi-layered check system is in place, leading to peace of mind for patients.
Even when providing medical care in the metaverse, safety must be ensured just as in real life. Creating a safe environment for patients can be said to be a major challenge for metaverse medicine.
In order to solve safety issues, it is essential not only to collaborate with medical professionals, but also with businesses that provide metaverse space.
No matter how wonderful a Metaverse space is created, if there are doubts about its safety, it will be difficult to promote it.
Security issues
Metaverse space is a virtual space provided online. Therefore, addressing cyber security is essential.
If the security of the Metaverse is weak, it may be infiltrated by malicious hackers. If such hackers are allowed to infiltrate, medical practices may come to a halt, and patients’ personal information may also be leaked.
In order to solve these security issues, it is necessary not only to have a strong environmental infrastructure that does not allow intrusion from outsiders, but also to have laws in place to deal with incidents.
Five examples of using the Metaverse in medical care
In this chapter, we will introduce five examples of how the Metaverse is actually used in medical care.
Juntendo Virtual Hospital (virtual space imitating a hospital)
Juntendo University is collaborating with IBM Japan, Ltd. to construct the “Juntendo Virtual Hospital” within the Metaverse space.
The Juntendo Virtual Hospital is a place for medical professionals and patients to interact, allowing patients to experience a simulated medical procedure before coming to the hospital. The purpose is to alleviate patients’ anxiety through simulated experiences.
VR vaccine injection simulator (VR of intramuscular injection)
As the name suggests, a VR vaccine injection simulator allows you to simulate an injection in VR. Imma Create Co., Ltd. has released a service for training purposes, which allows you to intuitively learn how to give intramuscular injections in VR space. In addition, simulators have been released for training purposes when learning the procedures for vaccination against the new coronavirus, and are expected to be more effective than learning through classroom lectures.
Mediverse OCD (virtual space such as seminars)
MediVerse OCD aims to create new services by building a platform that connects medical professionals or medical professionals and companies in a metaverse space.
It can be used for a variety of purposes depending on the user, including sharing case information, gathering research knowledge from medical professionals, and holding simple study sessions and study groups.
Holoeyes (VR software for medical education)
Holoeyes is VR software for learning medical education or clinical practice.
Since the purpose is medical education, 3D information of the human body can be accurately reproduced in VR, making it possible to learn visually. Furthermore, it can also be used to simulate actual procedures. You can also communicate with other users in remote locations in real time via avatars.
Introducing 5 papers that will help you understand future metaverse medicine
In this chapter, we will introduce five papers that will be useful in deepening our knowledge of metaverse medicine, which will be promoted in the future.
Papers on cardiology
The use of the metaverse in cardiology is called the CardioVerse.
In cardiology, by utilizing this Cardioverse, it is possible to receive specialized services in 3D space even in remote locations, and the quality of medical care can be improved by integrating surgical robots and navigation systems. It has been reported that the effect of “increases the
Papers on ophthalmology
In ophthalmology, there are many things related to AR and VR.
For example, “Using AR and VR to help patients notice visual abnormalities” and “Making it easier to train medical professionals in optometry and surgery.”
The use of AR and VR can help patients in remote locations decide whether to travel to the hospital for testing. Other training simulators introduced include the EyeSi simulator (VR Magic) and MicroVisTouch (Immersive Touch).
Papers on medical education
In the field of medical education, we classify the metaverse into four types and discuss how to utilize each type. The four types of medical education are ” Augmented Reality ,” “Lifelog,” “Mirror World,” and “Virtual Reality.”
Each type is discussed in the paper as follows.
- Augmented reality uses augmented reality t-shirts to explore inside the human body
- Lifelog is introducing a service that can utilize accumulated biometric information in the medical field.
- Mirror World is developing a platform that contributes to scientific research through games.
- In virtual reality, use of avatar services and platforms
Papers on gastroenterology
In gastroenterology, papers have been published on the clinical results of endoscopy training actually conducted in the metaverse space.
Specifically, this includes surgical training using endoscopic equipment in the Metaverse, treatment by senior doctors in the Metaverse, and discussion of surgical procedures by experts in the Metaverse via avatars.
Training and discussions held in the Metaverse space have led to results such as improved experience for doctors, shorter surgical times, and lower complication rates.
Papers on body transformation research cases
Body transformation is a phenomenon in which emotions, cognition, and behavior change by transforming from one’s own body to another body in VR space. Research on this body transformation is underway in Japan.
Specifically, the following cases have been reported.
- When white people use black avatars, their sense of discrimination is reduced.
- Using a child avatar leads to overestimation of object size and childish behavior.
- Being a superhero and helping others makes you more likely to act altruistically.
In other words, using an avatar with a different personality in VR space will have an impact on your body and way of thinking in the real world.
summary
It is no exaggeration to say that the market for the use of the metaverse in medical care is growing, and there is no doubt that it will continue to develop. With the use of 5G, the impact of the Metaverse on medical care will increase. The range of applications will continue to expand in a variety of medical fields, including telemedicine and real-time communication between doctors and patients.
