What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word “metaverse”?
For many, it would be a teenager wearing enormous VR glasses. Maybe it’s a gamer battling the fiery dragons. It could also be an online shopper, trying out a new pair of shoes. Although it’s true to a great extent, it’s heavily influenced by the entertainment industry. Somewhere, amidst all the hype, the true picture was shadowed.
The real metaverse was never meant for gamers. Behind the curtains, it evolved into a completely different form. It’s something we cannot comprehend. Behind the flashy images lies an ecosystem that’s revolutionizing healthcare. Whether it’s diagnosing a disease or treating a patient, the metaverse has become an integral part of the industry.
From saving limbs to providing comfort to depressed patients, its potential transcends our knowledge. That being said, let’s unearth what this real metaverse is actually doing.
Stepping into the Realm of Relief: Beyond Escapism
We can never deny that gaming itself is an escapade for many of us. Whether it’s building a fantasy farm or racing against ten cars, most games are designed to offer a quick escape from reality. However, for patients, the need to escape isn’t because of boredom, unlike gamers. Rather, they want a route, taking which will momentarily relieve them of the pain.
This very need is deeply intertwined with the immense pain they go through. Take a burn patient as an example. Even the slightest shift in the air will feel like hundreds of knives slicing through the exposed nerves. Pain medications are effective. However, sometimes, the aches run way deeper than the physical torment. It’s deeply rooted in the nerves.
That’s why famous hospitals like Cedars-Sinai use VR headsets for their burn patients. These bring the true power of the real metaverse to the table. Patients are transported on a snow-covered mountain or a tranquil lake. It helps in redirecting the pain pathways away from the pain. Hence, they feel relief, something that transcends mere medications.
Metaverse Counterattacking the Disease of Loneliness
Studies have shown that chronic illness isn’t just limited to physical health. It can leave a person depressed, completely isolated from their surroundings. Imagine a 70-year-old man suffering from Parkinson’s. Declined mobility, a declining social circle, and no access to the outside world define every single day of his life. Conversations, even with family members, are extremely limited. It’s not just a disease, causing poor health. It’s paving the road for social death.
This is where the metaverse for healthcare comes into the picture! Numerous clinics across Asia and Europe offer pilot programs to patients suffering from chronic illnesses. These are custom-designed to offer a virtual ecosystem that can help overcome the feelings of desolation. It can be a virtual world of Venice with its canals and the beautiful houses. It can also be a virtual fireplace with relaxing lounge chairs kept at the front.
Every program is therapeutic. In other words, these help patients forget about their pain momentarily. They won’t feel isolated or lonely in these ecosystems. Metaverse helps them reconnect with the world through a virtual platform.
Battling Phobia and PTSD with the Power of Exposure
Combat veterans suffer from varying degrees of PTSD. Even the slightest banging sound of the door can make them jump. Many therapists believe in reliving these traumas to start healing. However, traditional approaches are quite daunting and not always effective. Using mere conversations or treatment brochures will never do the magic.
That’s why several clinics leverage the real metaverse to rewire how the brain perceives external stimuli. Patients can be gradually exposed to triggering situations, like a small-scale battlefield. With therapists by their side, they can tone the realism up and down as necessary. Once they feel uncomfortable, taking a pause won’t be difficult.
The process can be repeated all over again for unlimited times. It will help rewire the brain and redefine how the body responds to these triggers. The same happens with patients suffering from a phobia. Metaverse brings the power of exposure to the table. It provides control to these people, allowing them to face their fears or traumas till they feel courageous enough to modify their responses.
Rehabilitation Is No Longer Painful with the Metaverse
Whether it’s a stroke survivor trying to regain balance or a patient with a brain injury, rehab therapies often fail to help them. Now imagine transporting these people to a medieval village or a medical camp.
There, they can walk on cobbled pathways and slowly try to regain control over their motor body parts. Gamification in healthcare is all about immersive experiences. These motivate patients to try, fail, and repeat all over again. Here, recovery doesn’t happen in a clinic. Rather, it brings a shift from the white walls of a hospital to the open, airy world of a village or a space station.
This is what makes the real difference. Rather than limiting the patients’ exposure, the metaverse provides them with a world where they can venture out without worrying about their disabilities.
A Data Goldmine That Redefines Diagnosis
Most diseases cannot be diagnosed until it’s too late. This limits the scope of treatment for the patients. Now imagine using technology to speed up the process. The slightest tremors in drawings with a VR headset can indicate early signs of Parkinson’s. Similarly, the way someone proceeds through a digital maze can help doctors determine declines in cognitive abilities.
So, the metaverse in healthcare is not just about treatment. Instead, it has found a whole new purpose, something that was shrouded till date. Every data, be it the hand movements or the reaction times, can be leveraged to diagnose a health condition. This can lower the error margins for doctors and help them level up their game.
Accessibility: The True Game Changer in Healthcare
One of the major game-changing innovations the metaverse has brought is unhindered accessibility. Someone living in a rural village can now consult a neurosurgeon in a city. Similarly, a patient receiving therapy won’t have to walk in a room full of people. A bedridden patient can attend a yoga session set thousands of miles away through the real metaverse.
In other words, you can say that this technology is merging the virtual and real worlds. No more worries about geographies and other types of limitations. In the virtual ecosystems, everything is accessible. To top it off, these help break down the psychological barriers.
What Will the Future Look Like with the Metaverse in Healthcare?
The real metaverse isn’t just the future of the technological world. Instead, it has become the future of healthcare. How? Well, that’s a question that needs to be answered before we wrap up. Patients no longer have to depend on those boring pills to get better. Instead, they can simply travel to a snowy mountain or a calming village to receive therapeutic healing.
Metaverse brings a whole new level of immersive experiences for patients. These virtual environments provide an escape from reality, which is defined by pain and disabilities. Redirecting the brain’s pathway allows the body to alter the responses automatically. Whether it’s battling isolation or recovering from PTSD, everything will feel more connected and real.
Conclusion
Although the metaverse in healthcare has gained traction in recent years, the journey has just started. We have yet to uncover the full potential of virtual spaces. Only through proper planning and experimentation can we understand the full potential. So, if you want to design a pilot program for your patients, do not worry. We, at Web 3.0 India, are proficient with the metaverse and its ecosystems. Whether you want a snowy terrain or a cockpit for PTSD treatment, we have got your back.
