Transforming Healthcare: Innovation, Economics, and Clinical Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 8 June 2026 | Viewed by 3338

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Chair and Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Jedności 8, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
Interests: drug technology; pharmacology; medical devices; clinical trials; consumer behavior
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will showcase interdisciplinary research that contributes to improving health outcomes, healthcare delivery, healthcare economics, and patient well-being. We welcome empirical and evidence-based studies that integrate innovative solutions and economic considerations to address challenges in clinical practice, public health, and healthcare systems.

We invite submissions exploring how innovations and economic strategies can support effective, ethical, and equitable healthcare. Manuscripts should particularly explore contemporary topics in health policy, highlight social issues, and propose practical, evidence-based solutions.

We welcome submissions on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Patient behavior and treatment access in the context of the pharmaceutical and medical markets, with a focus on health outcomes and clinical decision-making;
  • Protection of patient rights and ethical issues in healthcare delivery;
  • Medical imaging in neurosciences;
  • Clinical applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare;
  • Evaluation of healthcare interventions and patient-centered outcomes;
  • Pharmacoeconomics in support of clinical decision-making;
  • Safety and regulatory evaluation of medicinal products and devices;
  • Innovative approaches to managing chronic diseases;
  • Interdisciplinary models for long-term patient care;
  • Clinical trials and their contributions to treatment innovation;
  • Organizational strategies for enhancing efficiency in health services;
  • Emerging technologies and their integration into healthcare practice.

We hope this Special Issue will provide a platform for interdisciplinary insights and practical advancements in modern healthcare.

Dr. Artur Turek
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-blind 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

  • health policy
  • healthcare market
  • neurosciences
  • artificial intelligence
  • pharmacoeconomics
  • clinical trials
  • patient/consumer behaviors

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 1166 KB  
Article
Survival in Men Treated for Lung Cancer: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study in Poland
by Magdalena Królikowska-Jerużalska, Magdalena Kurkiewicz, Aleksandra Moździerz, Anna Rzepecka-Stojko and Jerzy Stojko
Healthcare 2026, 14(7), 970; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14070970 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 618
Abstract
Introduction: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men in Poland. Prognosis is generally poor, largely due to late diagnosis at advanced stages and the aggressive biological nature of the disease. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of [...] Read more.
Introduction: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men in Poland. Prognosis is generally poor, largely due to late diagnosis at advanced stages and the aggressive biological nature of the disease. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatment modalities and determine their impact on overall survival in male patients diagnosed with small-cell (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 1431 men (mean age: 61.5 years) treated at the Katowice Oncology Center in Poland between 2002 and 2012. Overall survival was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Evaluated prognostic factors included clinical stage, surgical intervention (partial or total lung resection), first-line treatment regimen, and the number of treatment cycles. Results: Survival probabilities declined progressively with advancing clinical stage for both SCLC and NSCLC. Patients who underwent surgical resection demonstrated significantly longer survival compared to non-surgically treated patients (p < 0.001). Furthermore, combined radiochemotherapy yielded superior therapeutic outcomes compared to chemotherapy alone. In the non-surgical NSCLC cohort, first-line treatment with platinum derivatives combined with gemcitabine resulted in the highest 1-year survival rate compared to other pharmacological schemes. Discussion: The high mortality observed within the first 12 months post diagnosis reflects the late-stage presentation common during the study period. The findings align with established oncological principles, confirming that surgical resection and multimodal therapies offer the greatest survival advantages for eligible patients. Conclusions: Survival rates for both SCLC and NSCLC are overwhelmingly dictated by early diagnosis and the feasibility of surgical resection. Improving long-term outcomes depends heavily on implementing effective lung cancer screening programs to detect the disease at operable stages and utilizing optimized combined treatment protocols. Full article
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16 pages, 591 KB  
Article
Which Infectious Diseases Drive the Highest Absenteeism Costs—An Analysis Based on National Data Covering the Entire Polish Population in the Period of 2018–2023
by Michał Seweryn, Grzegorz Juszczyk and Marcin Czech
Healthcare 2025, 13(18), 2284; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13182284 - 12 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1747
Abstract
Background: Infectious diseases pose a serious epidemiological and economic challenge for all healthcare systems. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analyses assessing the cost of absenteeism attributable to all infectious diseases. Our objective was to evaluate the burden of absenteeism-related costs due [...] Read more.
Background: Infectious diseases pose a serious epidemiological and economic challenge for all healthcare systems. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analyses assessing the cost of absenteeism attributable to all infectious diseases. Our objective was to evaluate the burden of absenteeism-related costs due to infectious diseases in comparison with other major public health challenges. Methods: We applied the human capital approach to estimate the indirect costs of absenteeism caused by infectious diseases in Poland between 2018 and 2023. In particular, we assessed the relative contribution of different groups of infectious diseases to the overall economic burden. Data were obtained from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). Results: The total cost of absenteeism due to infectious diseases in Poland during the six-year period was EUR 5.3 billion. Over 78% of these costs were attributed to pneumonia and other acute lower respiratory tract infections (ICD-10: J12–J22): EUR 1.89 billion, COVID-19 (ICD-10: U07–U09): EUR 1.82 billion, and influenza (ICD-10: J09–J11): EUR 444.5 million. Infectious diseases imposed a greater economic burden in terms of absenteeism than each of the three conditions used as comparators: malignant neoplasms, depression, and ischemic heart disease. Conclusions: Our six-year analysis of sickness absence in Poland indicates that infectious diseases—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic—are major drivers of productivity loss. When compared with other leading public health challenges, their economic burden is substantial. These findings underscore the importance of investing in preventive measures, particularly vaccination programs. Full article
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