Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39908543›Full record

Trial reportJournal of medical Internet research2025

Metaverse Clinic for Pregnant Women With Subclinical Hypothyroidism: Prospective Randomized Study.

Yuanyuan Zheng, Yizhen Chen, Yan Chen, Liang Lin, Ting Xue, Chuhui Chen, Junping Wen, Wei Lin, Gang Chen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yuanyuan Zheng *Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4930-1974
Yizhen Chen *Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9060-8436
Yan Chen *Shengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6511-2431
Liang LinShengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4997-2535
Ting XueShengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5376-9807
Chuhui ChenShengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6159-9573
Junping WenShengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5650-5281
Wei LinShengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0455-8752
Gang ChenShengli Clinical Medical College, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8105-2384

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHealth care is experiencing new opportunities in the emerging digital landscape. The metaverse, a shared virtual space, integrates technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. It allows users to interact with immersive digital worlds, connect with others, and explore unknowns. While the metaverse is gaining traction across various medical disciplines, its application in thyroid diseases remains unexplored. Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is the most common thyroid disorder during pregnancy and is frequently associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.

objectiveThis study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a metaverse platform in managing SCH during pregnancy.

methodsA randomized controlled trial was conducted at Fujian Provincial Hospital, China, from July 2022 to December 2023. A total of 60 pregnant women diagnosed with SCH were randomly assigned into two groups: the standard group (n=30) and the metaverse group (n=30). Both groups received levothyroxine sodium tablets. Additionally, participants in the metaverse group had access to the metaverse virtual medical consultations and metaverse-based medical games. The primary outcomes were adverse maternal and offspring outcomes, and the secondary outcomes included the neurobehavioral development of offspring and maternal psychological assessments.

resultsOf the 30 participants in each group, adverse maternal outcomes were observed in 43% (n=13) of the standard group and 37% (n=11) of the metaverse group (P=.60). The incidence of adverse offspring outcomes was 33% (n=10) in the standard group, compared to 7% (n=2) in the metaverse group (P=.01). The Gesell Development Scale did not show significant differences between the two groups. Notably, the metaverse group demonstrated significantly improved scores on the Self-Rating Depression Scale and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale scores compared to the standard group (P<.001 and P=.001, respectively).

conclusionsThe use of metaverse technology significantly reduced the incidence of adverse offspring outcomes and positively impacted maternal mental health. Maternal adverse outcomes and offspring neurobehavioral development were comparable between the two groups.

trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2300076803; https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=205905.

Indexed as

HypothyroidismPregnancy ComplicationsAdultChinaFemaleHumansPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeProspective StudiesThyroxineVirtual RealityThyroxineadverse pregnancy outcomesmetaverseneurobehavioral developmentpsychological healthsubclinical hypothyroidism

Identifiers

PMID39908543
PMCPMC11840391

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.