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Li Y, Gunasekeran DV, RaviChandran N, Tan TF, Ong JCL, Thirunavukarasu AJ, Polascik BW, Habash R, Khaderi K, Ting DSW. The next generation of healthcare ecosystem in the metaverse. Biomed J 2024; 47:100679. [PMID: 38048990 PMCID: PMC11245972 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2023.100679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Metaverse has gained wide attention for being the application interface for the next generation of Internet. The potential of the Metaverse is growing, as Web 3·0 development and adoption continues to advance medicine and healthcare. We define the next generation of interoperable healthcare ecosystem in the Metaverse. We examine the existing literature regarding the Metaverse, explain the technology framework to deliver an immersive experience, along with a technical comparison of legacy and novel Metaverse platforms that are publicly released and in active use. The potential applications of different features of the Metaverse, including avatar-based meetings, immersive simulations, and social interactions are examined with different roles from patients to healthcare providers and healthcare organizations. Present challenges in the development of the Metaverse healthcare ecosystem are discussed, along with potential solutions including capabilities requiring technological innovation, use cases requiring regulatory supervision, and sound governance. This proposed concept and framework of the Metaverse could potentially redefine the traditional healthcare system and enhance digital transformation in healthcare. Similar to AI technology at the beginning of this decade, real-world development and implementation of these capabilities are relatively nascent. Further pragmatic research is needed for the development of an interoperable healthcare ecosystem in the Metaverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Li
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; The Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dinesh Visva Gunasekeran
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; The Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Ting Fang Tan
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | - Bryce W Polascik
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ranya Habash
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Khizer Khaderi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, California, USA
| | - Daniel S W Ting
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; The Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University, California, USA.
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Zhang ZG, Zhou LP, Kang L, Shen CL. Letter to the Editor Regarding "A Comparison of Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Accuracy Between Robotic Navigation and Novel Fluoroscopy-Based Instrument Tracking for Patients Undergoing Instrumented Thoracolumbar Surgery". World Neurosurg 2024; 181:191-192. [PMID: 38229280 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.09.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Gang Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Laboratory of Spinal and Spinal Cord Injury Regeneration and Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Lu-Ping Zhou
- Department of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Laboratory of Spinal and Spinal Cord Injury Regeneration and Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Liang Kang
- Department of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Laboratory of Spinal and Spinal Cord Injury Regeneration and Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Cai-Liang Shen
- Department of Orthopedics and Spine Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China; Laboratory of Spinal and Spinal Cord Injury Regeneration and Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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Ali Y, Khan HU. A Survey on harnessing the Applications of Mobile Computing in Healthcare during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Solutions. COMPUTER NETWORKS 2023; 224:109605. [PMID: 36776582 PMCID: PMC9894776 DOI: 10.1016/j.comnet.2023.109605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic ravaged almost every walk of life but it triggered many challenges for the healthcare system, globally. Different cutting-edge technologies such as Internet of things (IoT), machine learning, Virtual Reality (VR), Big data, Blockchain etc. have been adopted to cope with this menace. In this regard, various surveys have been conducted to highlight the importance of these technologies. However, among these technologies, the role of mobile computing is of paramount importance which is not found in the existing literature. Hence, this survey in mainly targeted to highlight the significant role of mobile computing in alleviating the impacts of COVID-19 in healthcare sector. The major applications of mobile computing such as software-based solutions, hardware-based solutions and wireless communication-based support for diagnosis, prevention, self-symptom reporting, contact tracing, social distancing, telemedicine and treatment related to coronavirus are discussed in detailed and comprehensive fashion. A state-of-the-art work is presented to identify the challenges along with possible solutions in adoption of mobile computing with respect to COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, this research will help the researchers, policymakers and healthcare professionals to understand the current research gaps and future research directions in this domain. To the best level of our knowledge, this is the first survey of its type to address the COVID-19 pandemic by exploring the holistic contribution of mobile computing technologies in healthcare area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir Ali
- Higher Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Government Degree College Kotha Swabi, KP, Pakistan
- Higher Education Department, Shahzeb Shaheed Government Degree College Razzar, Swabi, KP, Pakistan
| | - Habib Ullah Khan
- Accounting and Information, College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, Doha Qatar
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Tan TF, Li Y, Lim JS, Gunasekeran DV, Teo ZL, Ng WY, Ting DS. Metaverse and Virtual Health Care in Ophthalmology: Opportunities and Challenges. Asia Pac J Ophthalmol (Phila) 2022; 11:237-246. [PMID: 35772084 DOI: 10.1097/apo.0000000000000537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 has further increased the urgent need for digital transformation within the health care settings, with the use of artificial intelligence/deep learning, internet of things, telecommunication network/virtual platform, and blockchain. The recent advent of metaverse, an interconnected online universe, with the synergistic combination of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality described several years ago, presents a new era of immersive and real-time experiences to enhance human-to-human social interaction and connection. In health care and ophthalmology, the creation of virtual environment with three-dimensional (3D) space and avatar, could be particularly useful in patient-fronting platforms (eg, telemedicine platforms), operational uses (eg, meeting organization), digital education (eg, simulated medical and surgical education), diagnostics, and therapeutics. On the other hand, the implementation and adoption of these emerging virtual health care technologies will require multipronged approaches to ensure interoperability with real-world virtual clinical settings, user-friendliness of the technologies and clinical efficiencies while complying to the clinical, health economics, regulatory, and cybersecurity standards. To serve the urgent need, it is important for the eye community to continue to innovate, invent, adapt, and harness the unique abilities of virtual health care technology to provide better eye care worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Fang Tan
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yong Li
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jane Sujuan Lim
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Zhen Ling Teo
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wei Yan Ng
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Daniel Sw Ting
- Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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