The metaverse is a shared virtual environment that people can access through the Internet. It combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented and virtual reality, cryptocurrencies and more to allow users to interact virtually but feel more engaged than a typical video meeting. People would be able to try on clothing from stores, for example, or attend concerts with friends in the metaverse just as in person.
Awareness of the term surged in the fall of 2021, when Facebook rebranded itself as “Meta” and founder/CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he believed the metaverse is the next chapter for the Internet, according to Merriam-Webster.While still in its infancy, the metaverse has several potential applications in health care. This includes items like simulation training, where medical trainees could get an up-close view of a surgeon’s procedure, enhanced with tactile controls that would give them a sense of touch, or interactive training modules where learners could go within the human body to study a patient’s medical problem. An article by the Acceleration Economy Network has more information.