KMID : 0338420220370061223
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The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine 2022 Volume.37 No. 6 p.1223 ~ p.1233
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Public interest in the digital transformation accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and perception of its future impact
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Park Joo-Young
Lee Kang-sun Chung Doo-Ryeon
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Abstract
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Background/Aims : The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated digital transformation (DT). We investigated the trend of the public interest in technologies regarding the DT and Koreans¡¯ experiences and their perceptions of the future impact of these technologies.
Methods : Using Google Trends, the relative search volume (RSV) for topics including ¡°coronavirus,¡± ¡°artificial intelligence,¡± ¡°cloud,¡± ¡°big data,¡± and ¡°metaverse¡± were retrieved for the period from January 2020 to January 2022. A survey was conducted to assess the population¡¯s knowledge, experience, and perceptions regarding the DT.
Results : The RSV for ¡°metaverse¡± showed an increasing trend, in contrast to those for ¡°cloud,¡± ¡°big data,¡± and ¡°coronavirus.¡± The RSVs for DT-related keywords had a negative correlation with the number of new weekly COVID-19 cases. In our survey, 78.1% responded that the positive impact of the DT on future lives would outweigh the negative impact. The predictors for this positive perception included experiences with the metaverse (4.0-fold) and virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) education (3.8-fold). Respondents predicted that the biggest change would occur in the healthcare sector after transportation/communication.
Conclusions : Koreans¡¯ search interest for ¡°metaverse¡± showed an increasing trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Koreans believe that DT will bring about big changes in the healthcare sector. Most of the survey respondents have a positive outlook about the impact of DT on future life, and the predictors for this positive perception include the experiences with the metaverse or VR/AR education. Healthcare professionals need to accelerate the adoption of DT in clinical practice, education and training.
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KEYWORD
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Coronavirus, Metaverse, Virtual reality, Augmented reality, Delivery of health care
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