Virtual Horizons in Medicine: The Role of the Metaverse in Transforming Medical Education-A Qualitative Scoping...

The metaverse is defined as a three-dimensional, interactive and persistent virtual space in which users interact with one another and with simulated environments through digital avatars. This technology, as an innovative approach to education and learning, holds transformative potential for medical education. This qualitative scoping review aimed to identify, analyze, and synthesize qualitative evidence on stakeholders' perspectives and experiences regarding the application, role and significance of the metaverse in medical education.

This scoping review was conducted following the six-stage framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley. A comprehensive and systematic search was performed across English- and Persian-language databases to identify evidence related to the application of the metaverse in medical education. English-language databases included Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ERIC, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore. To encompass studies published in Persian, databases such as SID (Scientific Information Database), Civilica, Magiran, and ElmNet were searched. Additionally, Google Scholar was utilized to ensure the comprehensiveness of the search. English keywords included Metaverse, Medical Education, Qualitative, and related combinations. For standardized searches in databases like PubMed, keywords were aligned with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. The temporal scope of the studies ranged from January 1, 2015, to December 30, 2024. The PRISMA-ScR framework was employed to document the process of study identification and screening. Methodological quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool (CASP 2018).

Ultimately, twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings revealed that the majority of articles were published in 2024, with a significant proportion originating from Asia. Eight key themes related to the metaverse in medical education were identified: immersion and sense of reality in the metaverse, educational benefits of the metaverse, technical and design challenges, privacy and security concerns, social and psychological impacts, accessibility and inclusivity, regulatory and ethical frameworks, and educational innovations and teaching methodologies.

The evidence from this qualitative review of stakeholders indicates that the metaverse is currently valued in medical education primarily as an immersive complement to conventional instruction. Technical challenges, privacy concerns, access issues, and the need for robust regulatory frameworks must be addressed. Without these, technological expansion may widen inequality and erode trust. Most available evidence is confined to short-term learner experience, and little is yet known about how the technology alters durable learning, long-term mental health, or the implementation of educational policy.