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uHealth Interventions and Digital Therapeutics for Better Diseases Prevention and...
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uHealth Interventions and Digital Therapeutics for Better Diseases Prevention and Patient Care

A special issue of Multimodal Technologies and Interaction (ISSN 2414-4088).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2493

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Silvia Gabrielli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Digital Health Research, Bruno Kessler Foundation, 38122 Trento, Italy
Interests: co-design of digital health interventions; digital therapeutics; persuasive interfaces for personal healthcare; serious games for rehabilitation; virtual reality applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in the design of uHealth interventions and digital therapeutics are revolutionizing the way in which current challenges related to prevention and public health are tackled. Digital tools such as virtual coaching systems, virtual reality environments and telecare solutions are providing new opportunities to offer more engaging strategies to promote healthy lifestyles in the non-clinical population and deliver scalable and sustainable therapies that healthcare systems can manage. However, understanding how to best tailor these new digital interventions to the needs and preferences of users is complex, requiring multi-disciplinary knowledge and the use of iterative design and evaluation methods. More evidence-based research is needed to fully assess the feasibility and effectiveness of these new solutions, as this could prevent any possible lack of adherence and engagement by stakeholders that may lower the potential impacts of these solutions on the healthcare system.

In this Special Issue, we will cover the full spectrum of uHealth-related research that includes theoretical, methodological, original qualitative and quantitative research, as well as review articles.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Prof. Dr. Silvia Gabrielli
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. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction 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 1800 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

  • uHealth
  • evidence-based
  • digital therapeutics
  • behavior-change interventions for health
  • virtual coaching
  • public health interventions
  • prevention
  • healthy lifestyles
  • ehealth services
  • virtual reality

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 2519 KB  
Article
Reducing Periprocedural Pain and Anxiety of Child Patients with Guided Relaxation Exercises in a Virtual Natural Environment: A Clinical Research Study
by Ilmari Jyskä, Markku Turunen, Kaija Puura, Elina Karppa, Sauli Palmu and Jari Viik
Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2025, 9(12), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti9120115 - 24 Nov 2025
Viewed by 490
Abstract
Fear of needles is common among child patients. It causes stress and can lead to difficulty in procedures and future treatment avoidance. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool to reduce pain and anxiety non-pharmacologically. However, a research gap exists regarding [...] Read more.
Fear of needles is common among child patients. It causes stress and can lead to difficulty in procedures and future treatment avoidance. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool to reduce pain and anxiety non-pharmacologically. However, a research gap exists regarding what VR content is most effective in decreasing periprocedural stress. This article reports a VR feasibility study conducted with 83 child patients aged 8–12 years during a cannulation procedure. It has a between-subjects design with four groups, comparing deep breathing and mindfulness-based relaxation in a virtual nature environment (VNE) to passive VNE and standard care. The results from both relaxation exercise groups have been previously reported. This follow-up article adds findings from passive VNE and control groups, comparing all four for effectiveness and patient experience. The key findings highlight that deep breathing was highly effective according to heart rate variability (HRV) data, but less enjoyable than the mindfulness-based relaxation, which achieved higher patient satisfaction but was less effective according to HRV. Passive VNEs were pleasant but did not cause measurable stress reduction. All VR interventions improved patient experience over standard care. Relaxation exercises in a VNE reduce periprocedural stress more efficiently than passive VNEs or standard care in pediatrics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue uHealth Interventions and Digital Therapeutics for Better Diseases Prevention and Patient Care)
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23 pages, 13023 KB  
Article
Telerehabilitation Strategy for University Students with Back Pain Based on 3D Animations: Case Study
by Carolina Ponce-Ibarra, Diana-Margarita Córdova-Esparza, Teresa García-Ramírez, Julio-Alejandro Romero-González, Juan Terven, Mauricio Arturo Ibarra-Corona and Rolando Pérez Palacios-Bonilla
Multimodal Technol. Interact. 2025, 9(9), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/mti9090086 - 24 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1117
Abstract
Nowadays, the use of technology has become increasingly indispensable, leading to prolonged exposure to computers and other screen devices. This situation is common in work areas related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), where people spend long hours in front of a computer. [...] Read more.
Nowadays, the use of technology has become increasingly indispensable, leading to prolonged exposure to computers and other screen devices. This situation is common in work areas related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), where people spend long hours in front of a computer. This exposure has been associated with the development of musculoskeletal disorders, among which nonspecific back pain is particularly prevalent. This observational study presents the design of a telerehabilitation strategy based on 3D animations, which is aimed at enhancing the musculoskeletal health of individuals working or studying in ICT-related fields. The intervention was developed through the Moodle platform and designed using the ADDIE instructional model, incorporating educational content and therapeutic exercises adapted to digital ergonomics. The sample included university students in the field of computer science who were experiencing symptoms associated with prolonged computer use. After a four-week intervention period, the results show favorable changes in pain perception and knowledge of postural hygiene. These findings suggest that a distance-based educational and therapeutic strategy may be a useful approach for the prevention and treatment of back pain in academic settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue uHealth Interventions and Digital Therapeutics for Better Diseases Prevention and Patient Care)
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