ASOURCE Navi

The Metaverse, a virtual space created on the Internet, is attracting attention. Virtual space is another world that is different from reality, and it is characterized by participating in the user's alter ego "avatar". Until now, the Metaverse has developed mainly for entertainment such as games, but there is growing interest in its use in the medical field.

Metaverse is a coined word that expresses a "transcendent world" by combining "meta" and "universe", and is a three-dimensional virtual world that differs from the real world. Most of them are virtual spaces created by VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality) technology, and have sociality such as communicating with other users using avatars that act as alter ego. You can do various activities.

Metaverse has been used mainly for games so far, but it is beginning to be introduced in the medical field. In April of last year, Juntendo University Hospital established "Juntendo Virtual Hospital" in cooperation with IBM Japan, and is promoting joint research. We are developing an environment where outpatients and their families can visit hospitals as avatars and have a virtual experience. For example, there is psychotherapy that works on the cognition (how to receive and think about things) of patients with depression to make them feel more comfortable. It is also expected that providing patients with a simulated experience of treatment, which tends to be complicated to explain, in a virtual hospital will deepen the patient's understanding of treatment and relieve anxiety and worry. In particular, it is thought that pediatrics has great potential to use it as a tool to help understand children's diseases. In addition, it is said that the aim is to reduce the work burden of medical professionals by substituting tasks such as appointments, interviews, and payments for medical examinations in a virtual space. In addition, we are also planning a "community plaza" where inpatients who have difficulty going out can interact with family and friends in a virtual space outside the hospital. It is expected to have the effect of promoting exchanges.

On the other hand, in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture, from February 14, the "Echizen City Metaverse Heart Health Room," where people with withdrawals can talk to doctors and public health nurses using the Metaverse, will be able to talk about their worries without face-to-face. I started. People who want to talk about their worries can anonymously talk to doctors and public health nurses who are familiar with hikikomori through their online avatars in the Metaverse. The "Echizen City Metaverse Kokoro Health Room" is a public-private partnership project with "comatsuna," which is developing a digital health business, and will be implemented under an agreement. In the virtual space platform "DOOR", a space that imitates the observatory lounge on the 5th floor of the city hall will be created, and in addition to providing information about hikikomori, it will be possible to interact anonymously with avatars. Face-to-face communication is sometimes difficult, but in the Metaverse, you can communicate using your avatar, which is your alter ego. In addition, the Metaverse can create a visually relaxing space, allowing the client to communicate in a comfortable space. This project is a reservation-only initiative with limited days and hours until the end of July.

Utilizing the Metaverse in the medical field has the following advantages. (1) Patients can consult doctors through virtual space without visiting the hospital. (2) Using avatars makes it easier for patients with the same concerns to connect with each other. (3) Realization of remote robot treatment using VR. (4) Doctors in virtual space. and nurse training. In this way, the use of the Metaverse in the medical field has great benefits and potential, but there are still issues such as ensuring patient safety and protecting personal information. We may be approaching an era in which we can receive high-quality medical care conveniently using the Metaverse.