Metaverse Platforms for Immersive Healthcare: A Survey on Telemedicine Solutions

Abstract

Health disorders are characterized by physical health and mental health, which are pretty standard among the majority of the population. Telemedicine solutions to address such issues are experienced only by a significant portion of health professionals and the diseased. Lack of awareness and hindrance to modern technology are identified as an impact on the usage of telemedicine solutions, and there is growing evidence that a significant number of members utilize these platforms. However, despite this growing trend, the physical presence of health professionals in face-to-face discussions seems challenging. The emergence of Metaverse has turned out to be a possible solution to facilitate immersive experiences for patients and healthcare professionals. In this paper, we survey the utilization of the Metaverse platforms to facilitate current medical diagnosis and treatment procedures through remote and immersive means. To provide secure means of healthcare solutions, we summarize the privacy and security concerns prevalent in Metaverse platforms and the potential solutions for addressing them. Finally, we summarize the future research trends by addressing six challenges of incorporating telemedicine communication in the Metaverse.