# Immersive futures in healthcare: A mapping review of review articles on the metaverse

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how the metaverse could change healthcare through immersive experiences, highlighting current trends and future needs.

## Contribution

A mapping review of metaverse-related healthcare studies reveals emerging clusters and challenges for future development.

## Key findings

- Three clusters of metaverse applications in healthcare were identified: therapeutic/educational integration, surgical training, and personalized healthcare.
- Current applications show promise in mental health and surgical education but lack strong evidence and face privacy and equity risks.
- The paper emphasizes the need for ethical frameworks and inclusive design to ensure responsible metaverse adoption in healthcare.

## Abstract

The metaverse has the potential to transform healthcare and healthcare education by offering immersive, interactive experiences. As research on the metaverse rapidly expands, a synthesis is required to understand its current state, trends, and future directions in healthcare.

We conducted a mapping review of existing review studies on the metaverse in healthcare using topic modeling, hierarchical clustering, and qualitative interpretation. This was complemented by computational text analysis to examine thematic developments and structural patterns.

The analysis yielded three distinct clusters: (1) immersive therapeutic and educational applications with intelligent integration, (2) immersive technologies for surgical training and clinical simulation, and (3) integrated, immersive, and intelligent technologies for personalized, networked healthcare. These clusters illustrate a shift from conceptual exploration toward applied, system-level integration. Applications show promise in mental health, surgical education, and personalized care, among others, but the evidence is preliminary. Key risks include privacy concerns, governance gaps, and equity challenges.

As enthusiasm for metaverse technologies grows, it is crucial to ensure that optimism does not outpace evidence and readiness. The metaverse offers significant opportunities for human-centered healthcare and professional training, but it requires rigorous validation, ethical frameworks, and inclusive design. To ensure responsible adoption and a sustainable impact, it is critical to align developments with the WHO's strategic objectives of collaboration, implementation, governance, and human-centered systems.