International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue titled “Social and Health Care and Digital Health” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

The aging population, the high prevalence of chronic diseases, and the need for health and social services are stressing social protection and healthcare systems. Epidemiological surveillance now uses data from new applications which collect registries from health and social care systems. Digital health encompasses an extensive field from the use of applications and devices to the most complex surveillance systems. This Special Issue aims to address diverse topics that require new scientific contributions such as healthcare methods and digital devices use in social and health care, influence of the use of the internet/social networks, specific interventions in health and social care using digital health to change clinical and social status, digital applications for public health, or patient empowerment and participatory care through digital technologies.

Dr. Luis González de Paz
Dr. Belchin Kostov
Prof. Dr. Antoni Sisó-Almirall
Guest Editors

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2500 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

telemedicine
public health informatics
social care
mobile applications
consumer health information
internet
patient-generated health data

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

mHealth Technology as a Help Tool during Breast Cancer Treatment: A Content Focus Group

by Angeles Fuentes, Clara Amat, Raimundo Lozano-Rubí, Santiago Frid, Montserrat Muñoz, Joan Escarrabill and Imma Grau-Corral

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054584 - 04 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2235

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the usability and preferences of the contents of mHealth software developed for breast cancer patients as a tool to obtain patient-reported outcomes (PROMs), improve the patient’s knowledge about the disease and its side effects, increase adherence to treatment, and facilitate communication with the doctor. Intervention: an mHealth tool called the Xemio app provides side effect tracking, social calendars, and a personalized and trusted disease information platform to deliver evidence-based advice and education for breast cancer patients. Method: A qualitative research study using semi-structured focus groups was conducted and evaluated. This involved a group interview and a cognitive walking test using Android devices, with the participation of breast cancer survivors. Results: The ability to track side effects and the availability of reliable content were the main benefits of using the application. The ease of use and the method of interaction were the primary concerns; however, all participants agreed that the application would be beneficial to users. Finally, participants expressed their expectations of being informed by their healthcare providers about the launch of the Xemio app. Conclusion: Participants perceived the need for reliable health information and its benefits through an mHealth app. Therefore, applications for breast cancer patients must be designed with accessibility as a key consideration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social and Health Care and Digital Health)

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14 pages, 879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Inclusion, Cultural Capital, and Health Status of Urban and Rural Residents: An Empirical Study Based on 2017 CGSS Database

by Zhenyu Sun, Wei Sun, Hongliang Gao, Ruobing Fa, Shaofan Chen and Dongfu Qian

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4022; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054022 - 23 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1459

Abstract

China is committed to using digital technology to drive urban–rural integration in health care. This study aims to explore the effect of digital inclusion on health status with the mediating role of cultural capital and the digital health disparities between urban and rural residents in China. Using data from the 2017 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), the present study adopted an ordinary least squares (OLS) robust standard error regression model to investigate the impact of digital inclusion on health status. In addition, causal step regression (CSR) and bootstrapping methods were combined to test the mediating effect of cultural capital. The results showed that, first, digital inclusion was related to positive and significant effects on resident health status. Second, cultural capital played a mediating role in the relationship between digital inclusion and health status. Third, urban residents gained more health benefits from digital inclusion than rural residents. Additionally, common method variance (CMV) tests, endogenous tests, and a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis showed that the above conclusions remained robust. The government should therefore focus not only on promoting the population’s health by utilizing digital inclusion but also on accelerating digital health equity between urban and rural areas by developing such strategies as a digital infrastructure expansion schedule and digital literacy education and training programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social and Health Care and Digital Health)

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