Current Issue

Digital Health Trends in Patient and Medication Safety

Deadline: 31 March 2022

Publication Scehdule: Rolling Publication

In line with World Patient Safety Day (WPSD), we are currently inviting quality manuscripts for publication in a special issue on “Digital Health Trends in Patient and Medication Safety”.

WPSD was established in 2019 when the World Health Assembly adopted a global action on patient safety. Patient and medication safety has become more important due to the negative impact of COVID-19 on labor and resources in healthcare systems, as well as disruption to organizational workflow processes. Many challenges were amplified during COVID-19, which has shown that current ways of working in healthcare may not be sustainable in the longer term in the
post-COVID-19 era.

This special issue aims to solicit novel research articles on the application and contribution of digital health innovations towards patient and medication safety. This issue encourages all submissions focusing on current challenges, novel developments and innovations, recent advances, and new and future insights digital health technologies and techniques in the areas of patient and medication safety, and of topics related to the broader societal impact (e.g., sustainability initiatives, behavioral health needs, etc). The goal of this special issue is to provide an overview by shedding light on the progress made in this field during the past decade and on its future challenges, in order to inform, provide guidance and direction, and inspire clinicians, researchers, patients and all practitioners who are advocates of patient and medication safety.

Digital Oncology Futures – Reshaping Cancer Care Through Digital Health

Deadline: 31 March 2022

Publication Scehdule: Rolling Publication

We are currently inviting quality manuscripts for publication in a special issue on “Digital Oncology Futures – Reshaping Cancer Care Through Digital Health”.

COVID-19 has created unique challenges in the care of patients with cancer, such as the risk of their cancers going undetected or progressing due to delays, cancellations or postponements of screenings and treatment. Additionally, patients have abstained from hospital visits and healthcare professionals have cancelled or delayed surgeries and chemo/radiation therapies due to the potential risk of contracting COVID-19. However, amid this pandemic, it is clear that digital health technologies are becoming one of the hottest trends in oncology – from improving cancer diagnoses and facilitating patient care, to predicting drug responses and personalizing therapies, giving rise to an upcoming domain of digital oncology. There is growing evidence that digital health can provide benefits to patients with cancer when integrated into routine oncology practices and supportive care. However, these benefits also come with challenges for different healthcare systems, organizations and other living environments.

This special issue aims to solicit novel research articles on the roles and impacts of digital health innovations in oncology, with a focus on how these innovations can aid oncological practices, enhance patient care and safety, optimize healthcare systems and healthcare resource utilization, as well as empower patients with cancer. The goal of this special issue is to provide an overview of the current and future trends in digital oncology by shedding light on the progress made in this field, identifying the barriers faced by practitioners and illuminating the possibilities offered by new technologies, so as to inform, inspire
and guide clinicians, researchers and practitioners in digital oncology, as well as administrators, policy makers and patients with cancer to embrace the digital health era in the new normal.