Sustainable Digital Transformation in Health in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Technology-Driven Research, Innovation, and Training

Dear Colleagues,

Recent developments in emerging technologies and information system research provide a wide range of value-adding components for embedded systems in health and life sciences. From a sustainability point of view, the design, implementation, and performance of innovative services for the provision of efficient health services is a key direction toward personalized medicine. In the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agenda of our Special Issue is quite timely. The following technological enablers are in the focus of our Special Issue:

• Artificial Intelligence and machine learning;
• Internet of Things;
• Cloud computing;
• Bioinformatics;
• Advanced data mining and sentiment analysis;
• Image processing;
• Social networking;
• Big data analytics;
• Robotics;
• Nanotechnology;
• 3D bio-printing;
• Medical imaging;
• Wearables;
• Cybersecurity for medical records.

These technologies are some of the key enablers of a new era of Innovations in health and life sciences.

In this Special Issue, we are interested in promoting progressive, novel technology-driven research, innovation, and training in health and life sciences from a sustainability point of view. We are looking for innovative research works that uncover the potential social impact and added value of the emerging technologies in the health and life sciences toward sustainable digital transformation in health. With a special emphasis on medical informatics and innovation, we intend to contribute to the following directions:

• To promote recent sound research on the impact of emerging technologies in health and life specialties and disciplines;
• To contribute to the body of knowledge by promoting sound methodological approaches for technology-driven research, innovation, and training in health and life sciences;
• To communicate best practices and key lessons learnt from the implementation of innovative systems, services, and applications in real world contexts, with special emphasis on medical innovation;
• To invite to the relevant scientific debate diverse communities from different domains of human activity, including bioinformatics, health sciences, medical training, information systems and computer sciences education, etc.;
• To contribute to the discipline by synthesizing complementary approaches, limitations, and key findings.

Topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Medical and health-related innovation and research as it is applied by the following technologies:
  • Artificial Intelligence and machine learning;
  • Internet of Things;
  • Cloud computing;
  • Bioinformatics;
  • Advanced data mining and sentiment analysis;
  • Image processing;
  • Social networking;
  • Big data analytics;
  • Robotics;
  • Nanotechnology;
  • 3D bio-printing;
  • Medical imaging;
  • Wearables;
• Design of progressive, efficient systems for quality in health and life sciences training and education;
• Technology-enhanced training for medical education;
• Quality initiatives in health and life sciences domains;
• Medical analytics and enhanced decision making;
• User satisfaction in health training programs;
• Special focus on:
  • Augmented and virtual reality in healthcare;
  • Decrease on hype and focus on real world trusted, reliable. and efficient artificial intelligence products and services;
  • Progressive medical imaging research;
  • Integrating wearable devices in to patient care.

Prof. Dr. Miltiadis D. Lytras
Dr. Abdulrahman Housawi
Dr. Basim Alsaywid
Dr. Wesam Abuznadah
Guest Editors

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