Artificial intelligence and virtual reality within the Metaverse are reshaping public-health practice by improving remote care, medical training, mental-health treatment, and disease surveillance, according to a scoping review published Sunday, July 19.
The review, authored by Dr. Rajan Thapaliya of the University of Fairfax, synthesizes recent studies showing that AI-driven analytics and VR simulations can enhance telemedicine, boost diagnostic accuracy for chronic disease management, and provide realistic, low-risk environments for clinical and emergency training.
Thapaliya, who holds a PhD in Data Science alongside a Master of Public Health (MPH), brings a multidisciplinary perspective to the paper. His review review highlights several areas where combined AI and VR applications produced measurable benefits, including pain management, rehabilitation, psychiatry, and epidemiology. The paper cites trials and systematic reviews reporting reductions in pain, improved mobility, and higher learning retention among trainees who used immersive technologies.
According to the review, VR therapies reduced acute and chronic pain by an estimated 30%–50% in randomized and comparative studies, and VR exposure therapy showed substantial benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, and anxiety disorders compared to conventional methods.
The author summarizes evidence showing that VR-based physiotherapy and rehabilitation increased mobility and patient engagement compared to traditional approaches, and that VR surgical simulators shortened procedure times and reduced errors among trainees. The review cites studies reporting up to a 29% reduction in laparoscopic operation time and a significant decrease in surgical errors among VR-trained residents.
Thapaliya also reports that AI can improve remote monitoring and chronic disease outcomes by analyzing continuous data from wearables and electronic health records, enabling personalized treatment adjustments and early alerts for deterioration. One systematic review included in the paper found roughly a 20% improvement in glycemic control for diabetes patients using AI-supported systems versus conventional self-monitoring.
The Metaverse—a virtual environment where users interact via avatars—creates opportunities for broader public-health engagement, the review says. It allows for immersive campaigns, virtual health fairs, and AI-driven health consultants that increase knowledge and encourage behavior change more effectively than static media. The paper cites evidence of higher knowledge gains and self-reported behavior changes from VR-based campaigns focusing on smoking cessation and other risk factors.
On epidemiology and outbreak preparedness, Thapaliya notes that machine-learning models fed near-real-time data—including mobility, cases, and hospitalizations—improved predictive modeling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, virtual simulations allow policymakers to test containment strategies before implementing them in the real world.
The review stresses mental-health applications as especially promising: meta-analyses and trials summarized in the paper indicate that VR exposure therapy and AI chatbots can reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, while improving access to care for populations with limited local services. For example, the paper cites studies showing that a notable percentage of veterans with combat PTSD experienced sustained symptom improvement after completing VR programs.
Despite the benefits, the author cautions that these technologies pose challenges, including equity of access, data privacy, the need for clinical validation, and the potential misuse of surveillance capabilities in virtual spaces. The paper calls for more rigorous trials, standardized outcomes, and regulatory frameworks to ensure safety, effectiveness, and ethical deployment.
Thapaliya concludes that AI and VR integrated into the Metaverse could expand health-promotion efforts, strengthen epidemiological research, and improve chronic disease management—though realizing these gains will require careful governance, inclusive design, and further research.
Note: The findings are drawn from a scoping review synthesizing peer-reviewed studies and systematic reviews through 2024–2025, as cited in the paper. The full review is available in Transactions on Engineering and Computing Sciences.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
