Metahealth. What does it smell like?

Metaverse is a form of a parallel world to which the user can move using virtual reality technology and augmented reality. The term derived from science fiction means sinking into an unreal environment that has been created digitally. This technology goes one step further than classic virtual reality (VR). When we put on VR glasses, we are observers of reality, but we do not interact with it. On the other hand, in the case of metaverse, the user has a greater sense of "virtual presence". In this way, he can meet other people, shop, hang out, work, and experience the artificial world with different senses. For example, Facebook is working on gloves that will convey the same sensations when touching virtual objects as when touching real objects. Entering the metaverse, we will use a digital identity, which will allow you to use selected services, including visiting a doctor.

The perspective of a skeptical European versus a needy Asian

In most Asian countries, the network of health care facilities is sparse, there is a shortage of doctors and nurses, and the pandemic only exacerbates the problem. Difficult treatment conditions in the last two years give impetus to the development of telemedicine and its successors, such as metaverse. The implementation of the 5G network in Asia is to lead, among others, to the development of tele-medicine, and thus to extend medical care to previously isolated regions. The development of virtual and augmented reality, as well as metaverse, is to further strengthen this process. The two largest hospital operators in Southeast Asia are convinced of this. Malaysia's IHH Healthcare and Indonesia's Siloam International Hospitals have paid more attention to telemedicine and related technologies with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this way, these companies are trying to reach patients who have been affected by travel restrictions or who are in remote, isolated regions. The first step was to apply artificial intelligence to data analysis to improve the quality of treatment. Now it's the turn of virtual reality, augmented reality and metaverse. New technologies are to allow doctors not only to provide advice and conduct operations at a distance. According to Linus Tham from IHH, within the next 10–15 years, it is possible to look after patients in intensive care units in this way. In turn, Caroline Riady of Siloam sees promising opportunities for new solutions in the field of psychology and psychiatry. In her opinion, patients staying at home and in contact with a doctor at the same time may feel more comfortable. Such a solution should have a positive impact on the aid process.

VR is not a metaversum yet In addition to Facebook, he is also working on metaverse, among others Microsoft, Amazon or the Chinese giant of new technologies Tencent. But before we get to the aforementioned applications, there are a few problems to overcome. One of the biggest is full data interoperability. For the next decade or so, even a simple exchange of information at the sectoral level, for example the transfer of medical records between doctors caring for the same patient, will be a problem. Then you need to achieve cross-sector semantic and process interoperability so that you can think about integrating information from different sources, not only those available within the health system. Accumulating information about every aspect of life means a gradual loss of privacy. Will people agree to such a deep interference in their lives? Remember that, like any data, also your digital identity can be lost as a result of a cyber attack. In practice, this means losing control of your own life in the digital world. The promise of the metaverse, while intriguing at first glance, is in fact likely to disappoint. Life in the matrix can quickly turn boring compared to what the real world offers, full of different stimuli, perceived with different senses, and creative. In the case of health care, it is necessary to add the necessity to conduct clinical trials on the safety and effectiveness of medical telepaths conducted in this way. To consult a doctor in the metaverse, you will need not only good computer equipment, virtual reality glasses, but also precise and widely available home devices for measuring health parameters. Otherwise, the doctor will not be able to view the data in real time, but will only be able to examine an out-of-date and thus useless avatar.

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