Taiwan seeks to use AR/VR technologies to revolutionize medicine and immersive healthcare

In Taiwan, the convergence of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) with clinical practice, medical education and patient engagement is not a distant promise but an unfolding revolution, one that is reshaping the way medicine is taught, practiced and experienced.

In the halls of Taiwan's leading hospitals and research institutes, a new paradigm is taking shape, wth immersive technologies like AR, VR and mixed reality (MR) transforming healthcare from a traditionally physical domain into a blended digital frontier. What just a few years ago seemed speculative has swiftly transitioned into palpable reality, with palpable implications for clinicians, educators and patients alike.

From virtual simulations to real-world impact

At the core of Taiwan's immersive healthcare movement is a reinterpretation of medical training and practice. Institutions such as National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) have deployed what  NTUH Chairman of the Department of Surgery Chen Jin-shing (陳晉興) called the metaverse surgical simulation platform.

Such platform creates, in Chen's words, “another you” that is virtual, where patient imaging data like CT and MRI scans are converted into interactive 3D environments.

Surgeons can rehearse complex procedures, visualizing tumors and critical vasculature in virtual space with granular precision before ever using a scalpel to cut through an actual living patient, an innovation that has already yielded clinical successes, such as the accurate removal of a challenging chest wall tumor without nerve damage or loss of function.

Across hospital networks, the integration of AR/VR tools goes beyond surgical rehearsal. Training modules now allow clinicians to practice procedures, interpret diagnostics and refine decision-making in situational simulations that replicate real-world pressure without patient risk.

Evidence from Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital shows that trainees perform better after VR-based instruction, with measurable gains in test scores, underscoring how immersion enhances competence where traditional methods often fall short. As a result, patients may be taken care of in an improved capacity.

Revolutionizing medical education

Taiwan's medical education system has also embraced extended reality (XR) technologies as strategic tools to surmount enduring pedagogical constraints.

In domains ranging from anatomy to specialist procedures, students are no longer confined to textbooks or cadaveric specimens. Instead, they navigate dynamic 3D human models that reveal muscles, nerves and organ structures in ways impossible on two-dimensional media.

The impact spans both Western and traditional Chinese medicine training. For example, virtual environments illustrate acupuncture points and meridian networks with interactive depth and perspective, offering learners insights that conventional models cannot convey.

China Medical University in Taichung, the central part of Taiwan, developed a Dynamic 3D Meridian System, an intelligent device that allows students to navigate the human body with a simple swipe of the screen.

Through the interface, users can clearly observe the precise depth and spatial positioning of acupuncture points, while progressively deconstructing layers of skin, muscle, blood vessels and nerves. When integrated with a virtual acupuncture training platform, the technology enables immersive VR-based instruction, offering students a rigorously realistic environment in which to learn and practice acupuncture techniques.

Leading medical institutions, such as the Department of Medical Education of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, have partnered with technology firms to formalize these immersive curricula. In a 2025 press release, Taipei Veterans General Hospital declared that it is partnering with HTC Medical, which integrates AR, VR, MR, XR and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide better medical services.

XR platforms now deliver simulated clinical scenarios, from cardiovascular emergencies to procedural practice, in safe, repeatable formats, ensuring students hone competence before transitioning to live patients. Such innovations not only bolster skills but also help standardize training across diverse healthcare settings.

Senior Vice President Raymond Pao (鮑永哲) of HTC VIVE, HTC's entity focusing on virtual and mixed reality headsets, said that through XR and AI technologies, medical education can overcome geographical and technological limitations.

He further stated that generative AI can accelerate the development and application of medical training content, enabling teachers to create interactive lesson plans more efficiently and providing students with a more clinically valuable learning experience.

Beyond the classroom: Applications and business prospects

While Taiwan's immersive healthcare story has a strong educational thrust, its relevance reaches further into patient experience. Visualizing internal conditions through VR can demystify medical explanations that once relied on abstract imaging. A patient wearing a VR headset can “see” their own anatomy, transforming clinical communication from abstraction into tangible comprehension.

This “seeing is believing” approach strengthens doctor-patient trust and engenders a participatory ethos in care planning. Patients move from passive recipients of information to active partners in their health journeys.

Academia Sinica Academician and former president of National Taiwan University Yang Pan-chyr (楊泮池) cautioned that while metaverse-enabled healthcare holds vast potential and can be deployed across a wide range of real-world applications, many developers have struggled to translate innovation into sustainable returns.

He said that from businesses often incurred repeated losses during the development phase. To address this, he argued, viable business models must be established.

He pointed out that one promising approach would be to integrate metaverse healthcare, digital medicine and smart healthcare solutions with the insurance sector.

Under such a framework, insurers would fund technology developers, providing the capital needed to build more effective and scalable medical models. In return, policyholders would benefit from improved health outcomes, while insurers would see fewer claims and stronger long-term profitability.

Yet Taiwan also confronts structural challenges when it comes to immersive healthcare. From a business standpoint, the domestic market is relatively small, leading many stakeholders to emphasize export-oriented strategies and international partnerships.

Moreover, broad adoption requires harmonizing interoperability standards and overcoming cost barriers that can hinder deployment in smaller clinics.

Despite these challenges, the potential upside is immense. Taiwan's real-world cases show that immersive healthcare lowers training costs, expands access to high-quality medical education, and amplifies patient engagement in ways traditional modalities cannot.

In addition, a 2025 research shows that the immersive healthcare industry reached $2.24 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.61 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.4% between 2026 and 2034.