Although ever-evolving, healthcare is considered a slow adopter of technology. Of course, it has its valid reasons. Healthcare players cannot accept a particular technology until proven safe!

But the last few years have been phenomenal. The emergence of new players and technologies in the healthcare sector has made a difference.

These players are aligned with modern needs and prepared to outperform their older counterparts. They are leveraging technology to reach inaccessible interiors with telehealth and enhance patient experience with immersive technologies like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Metaverse!

AR and VR in Healthcare

AR and VR have significantly snowballed across the healthcare sector and are on a promising trajectory. AR, particularly in healthcare worldwide, was valued at slightly over USD 600 million in 2018. But by 2023, its use is expected to proliferate considerably and surpass the USD 2 billion mark. Later, which is by 2026, the burgeoning sector is projected to reach approximately USD 4 billion!

AR refers to integrating digital information with user’s environment in real-time. On the other hand, VR is a computer-generated simulation of a 3D image or environment, which can interact in a near-real or physical way via a  VR headset, a specialized device.

Some popular usages of AR and VR in healthcare include digital twinning, medical training, and telemedicine. Let’s look at each of these applications.

• Digital Twin

Speaking of digital twinning, it is a widespread concept in the manufacturing industry. But it is now rapidly penetrating healthcare as well.

Digital twinning involves using a virtual model or simulation of any object, process, or system. It is created utilizing actual data from the real world to learn more about its true counterpart, which in the healthcare context could be patients in the Metaverse. Digital twinning allows doctors to observe a treatment’s effect on a patient’s body remotely, even if they are not present on-site.

• Surgical Applications

AR-powered surgical applications can enhance patient safety during surgery by providing surgeons with real-time insights concerning details on patient’s crucial procedures. Additionally, AR-enabled visual interfaces can allow doctors to visualize the locations of various tumors, organs, etc., within the patient’s body.

• Training and Education

It isn’t that medical training and education haven’t undergone any changes in the past few decades. But AR and VR have the potential to revolutionize healthcare training and education. It will pave the way to a more realistic learning experience and transform healthcare in the future.

These technologies can provide realistic simulations of medical procedures outside the body. They can be used to train healthcare professionals, nurses, etc., on performing various procedures.

• Telemedicine

Telemedicine is the result of groundbreaking technology that enables complex virtual interactions in real-time. It allows doctors to treat patients remotely via video conferencing or VR technology. They can do so through a mobile app or with VR headsets. AR and VR can also enable patients to manage their healthcare outside hospital premises with remote monitoring tools.

Metaverse in Healthcare

Metaverse is new, emerging, and evolving. Experts project another decade for it to become an active technological element of the healthcare sector. But we considered it to be the next frontier in healthcare and chose to speak about it, considering it to be a buzzword these days across the technology world.

Metaverse in medicine can be referred to as the medical IoT, enabled via AR and VR. It holds immense promise and potential while integrating effectively with fellow counterparts like AR, VR, AI, the Internet of Medical Devices, edge computing, the cloud, quantum computing, and the intelligent cloud.

The technology converges digital twinning, telepresence, blockchain, etc., all of which positively impact healthcare individually. Metaverse is already exhibiting its usefulness and adoption in digital therapeutics. AR and VR in Metaverse enable psychiatric evaluations, cognitive therapy, support groups, and physical therapy as well with the help of haptic sensors.

In addition, Metaverse would also prove to be effective in performing complex surgeries and improving patient care. Robotics already exists and is now a regular part of a healthcare organization’s technology stack. Intricate surgeries are prepared to use AR, and using smart glasses to enhance diagnostic capabilities is another possibility.

The Metaverse is evolving. Hence, we cannot say much about it immediately, at least in healthcare. But looking at the adoption of various techniques so far and in the future, Metaverse may become a breakthrough technology for healthcare.

Create Tangible Value and Deliver Unmatched Experiences with Qodequay’s Personalized AR and VR Healthcare Solutions

Are you a healthcare organization looking to deliver a world-class immersive experience to your patients? AR and VR are an effective way forward! Partner with Qodequay Technologies. Our personalized AR and VR solutions stem from our comprehensive and meticulous design thinking approach.

We adopt a three-step design thinking approach that involves collaborative brainstorming and challenging ourselves. This process results in a bespoke AR and VR solution prepared to build tangible value.

We integrate the latest technologies to help you enhance your patient journey, assess their response, and measure patient engagement while ensuring technical accuracy and safeguarding your fundamental objectives. Click here to know more.