Metaverse for Healthcare

Abstract

2021 is known as the first Year of the Metaverse, and around the world, internet giants are eager to devote themselves to it. Metaverse is the augmented virtual world formed by convergence of virtual and physical space. Users interact within this created world, meeting each other virtually, immersing themselves in performing virtual activities, which subsequently could lead to real experiences. Conventionally, the healthcare “industry” is conservative in deploying future ready technology. Demonstrating significant improvement in healthcare outcomes using the metaverse will be difficult to prove. This overview discusses the untapped potential of metaverse applications in healthcare, and also points out the advantages, disadvantages, limitations, and challenges in actual deployment of the metaverse in clinical practice in the real world. This alone will ultimately lead to the development of a business model, insurance reimbursement, and behavioral modification necessary for accepting and using a hitherto unused method in patient care.