Community Healthcare in the New Era

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2027 | Viewed by 1431

Editor


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Guest Editor
Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono 5545173, Israel
Interests: nursing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Community healthcare is evolving rapidly due to technological advancements, shifting demographics, and the demand for innovative care models. As healthcare systems face growing challenges, community-based care plays a crucial role in public health, offering personalized treatment, disease prevention, chronic disease management, and improved accessibility.

The integration of telemedicine, digital health (eHealth), artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and remote monitoring is reshaping service delivery, enabling data-driven decision-making and reducing health disparities. At the same time, multidisciplinary collaboration and patient-centered care introduce new challenges, including integrated care management, continuity of services, and coordination between primary care providers, specialists, and social services.

This Special Issue seeks to highlight groundbreaking research and discussions on innovations in community healthcare, focusing on new care models, service quality improvements, and strategies to bridge health gaps.

We invite contributions on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Telemedicine and telehealth—implementation challenges and impact on community healthcare;
  • Chronic disease management—digital tools and innovative approaches;
  • Patient-centered care—adapting services to individual and community needs;
  • Healthcare accessibility—reducing disparities and promoting equitable care;
  • Care continuity—bridging primary care, hospitals, and social services;
  • Big data and AI applications—predictive analytics and decision support;
  • Multidisciplinary collaboration—enhancing care quality through teamwork;
  • Preventive and personalized medicine—early interventions and community programs;
  • Patient engagement and experience—digital solutions and interactive tools;
  • Ethical and regulatory considerations—challenges in community healthcare.

This Special Issue aims to foster academic and practical insights into advancing community healthcare and its role in public health. We welcome submissions from researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and healthcare professionals.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Orly Toren
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • community healthcare
  • community-based care
  • community programs
  • community services

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 236 KB  
Article
Psychological Distress and Quality of Life in a Community-Based Sample of Adults with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Study
by Florence Mei Fung Wong, Pui Ka Fung, Hoi Yan Mak and Richard Yi Tsun Kao
Healthcare 2026, 14(3), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14030398 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 823
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with psychological distress and reduced quality of life (QoL). The complex interrelationships among anxiety, depression, and multidimensional QoL in adults with AD remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine these [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with psychological distress and reduced quality of life (QoL). The complex interrelationships among anxiety, depression, and multidimensional QoL in adults with AD remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to examine these relationships and key factors linking psychological distress and QoL in this population. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 47 adult participants with AD completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify associations and correlates among anxiety, depression, and QoL domains. Results: Participants demonstrated elevated anxiety (mean score: 7.91 ± 3.27) and depression (mean score: 6.28 ± 3.62) scores, with moderate-to-poor QoL reported across all domains. Both anxiety and depression were significantly negatively correlated with all QoL dimensions (p < 0.05). Higher depression and self-reported stress were independently associated with poorer self-perceived QoL (p < 0.001). Self-reported inadequate sleep was associated with lower environmental QoL (p = 0.006), while more self-reported frequent AD flares correlated with reduced psychological QoL (p = 0.007). Conclusions: This study highlights the substantial psychological burden and impaired QoL experienced by adults with AD. Self-reported stress and inadequate sleep were commonly cited as modifiable factors associated with poorer outcomes, alongside elevated depression scores. An integrated care approach addressing both physical and psychological factors is recommended to improve overall outcomes in this population. Future research should prioritize longitudinal designs and AD-specific assessments to further elucidate causal pathways and inform targeted interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community Healthcare in the New Era)
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