Transform Medicine through Extended Reality (XR): Technologies, Education, Ethics, and Clinical Applications

Extended Reality (XR) technologies, including Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR), are poised to significantly transform the medical field by addressing persistent challenges in continuous medical education, clinical practice, and patient care. Recent advancements in XR systems, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) integration, have propelled improvements in areas such as medical education, surgical planning, and intraoperative guidance. For instance, VR exposure therapy benefits those suffering from phobias; AR-assisted systems can generate 3D holograms from MRI scans to enhance neurosurgical precision; and VR simulations offer immersive platforms for procedural training and patient instruction. However, the widespread adoption of XR is hindered by ethical concerns over data privacy, technological disparities, and the pressing requirement for extensive clinical validation. Although current regulatory frameworks seek to address these challenges, there remains a strong demand for collaborative efforts to advance the field.

The primary focus of this Research Topic is to overcome persistent barriers to XR integration in healthcare professions education, including fragmented pedagogical regulations, limited educational and clinical validation, and design scalability challenges across diverse learning environments. Building on established educational frameworks, this collection aims to advance XR-enabled learning tools through enhanced AI integration, evidence-based implementation protocols, and systematic examination of ethical considerations in XR-AI educational systems, particularly data security and assessment bias. By employing mixed-methods research approaches—from controlled learning outcome studies to qualitative learner experience investigations—this work aims to bridge the theory-to-practice gap, accelerating the translation of XR educational innovations into transformative healthcare professions training. Furthermore, the efficient integration of XR technologies promises to facilitate their adoption in standard medical applications.

To gather further insights into the effective integration and application of XR technologies in medicine, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
o Medical education: Efficient integration of XR into medical education, including immersive VR simulations and competency assessments
o Surgical applications: AI-enhanced AR navigation and VR-guided procedures
o Diagnostic innovations: MR-based visualization and XR-AI fusion
o Rehabilitation: Gamified neurorehabilitation and motor recovery protocols
o Ethical frameworks: Data privacy and equitable access

We welcome multiple article types. Technical papers should highlight relevance to clinical or medical education. Interdisciplinary perspectives are particularly desirable, especially those linking technological breakthroughs with tangible patient outcomes. Submissions should adhere to FAIR data principles and include validation metrics to ensure reproducibility.

Keywords: Extended reality; Virtual reality; Augmented reality; clinical medicine;

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.