Navigating the Healthcare Metaverse: Immersive Technologies and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The year is 2030. The internet has evolved into the metaverse. People navigate through advanced avatars, shop in digital marketplaces, and connect with others through extended reality social media platforms. Three-dimensional patient scans, multidisciplinary tele-collaborations, digital twins and metaverse health records are part of clinical practices. Younger generations regularly immerse themselves in virtual worlds, playing games and attending social events in the metaverse. This sounds like a sci-fi movie, but as the world embraces immersive technologies post-COVID-19, this future is not too far off. This article aims to provide a foundational background to immersive technologies and their applications and discuss their potential for transforming healthcare and education. Moreover, this article will introduce the metaverse ecosystem and characteristics, and its potential for health prevention, treatment, education, and research. Finally, this article will explore the synergy between generative artificial intelligence and the metaverse. As younger generations of healthcare professionals embrace this digital frontier, the metaverse’s potential in healthcare is definitely attractive. Mainstream adoption may take time, but it is imperative that healthcare professionals be equipped with interdisciplinary skills to navigate the plethora of immersive technologies in the future of healthcare.