The role of the metaverse in transforming healthcare

To diagnose, treat, or perform surgical operations on a patient, conventional physical interactions between a patient and a doctor were necessary. Telehealth services have challenged this, enabling digital connections between patients and healthcare professionals. The metaverse, a virtual environment that permits interaction with digital objects and settings, is fast gaining traction in the healthcare industry. There is a strong likelihood that patient outcomes will be improved by technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), the internet of things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), quantum computing, and robotics. Augmented and virtual reality technologies have progressed dramatically in recent years, and they are now routinely used in medical education, training, and surgical procedures to execute complex surgeries with extraordinary precision. However, as the metaverse grows, there are apprehensions about potential ethical and legal implications, such as cybercrime and data vulnerability. The objective of this review article is to examine potential uses of the metaverse in the field of healthcare as well as the issues that need to be resolved.