Doing business in the healthcare metaverse

  • Alicia Patrice Cronenberg (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

Our healthcare systems are characterized by complexity, high costs and operational inefficiencies. Enormous expenditure, coupled with unequal access and the misallocation of healthcare investment, present a multi-faceted challenge. The recent global pandemic has also shown several limitations of our healthcare systems and the potential role of technology in improving accessibility and overall efficiency. Innovations, including advanced digital solutions such as Virtual Reality and moreover the metaverse, promise to transform healthcare. The metaverse arises thereby as a promising technology concept but there is a need to better understand how to explore business opportunities in the healthcare metaverse successfully. This study investigates critical success factors that are essential for conducting business in the healthcare metaverse. By exploring the perspectives from several experts (n=15) with involvement in the healthcare metaverse, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of critical elements required to develop business implications through healthcare metaverse services. With an integrative approach encompassing business, technology, medicine and science, the identified success factors were hardware, accessibility, affordability, adaptivity, partnerships, experiences and regulations. Furthermore, it has been observed that successful metaverse adoption in healthcare should be extended upon monetization, organizational, standardization and scientific aspects. These success factors can serve as recommendations for those doing or starting business in the healthcare metaverse. Going forward, to improve the healthcare system and to ensure fair consideration of all success factors, the study argues in favor of collaboration between the relevant stakeholders from different sectors to improve the implementation dealing with all of the critical success factors.
Date of Award1 Feb 2024
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorHenrique Martins (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Healthcare
  • Virtual reality
  • Augmented reality
  • Digital health
  • Digital transformation
  • Medtech
  • E-health
  • Business opportunities
  • Success factors
  • Business models

Designation

  • Mestrado em Gestão e Administração de Empresas

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