Health Services and the 4th Industrial Revolution

Alongside and in interaction with the industrial and information revolutions, health services have changed dramatically, contributing to advances in well-being, health, and longevity that were beyond the imagination of the global population in the late 19th century. The next technological revolution, the fourth industrial revolution, is emerging and about to fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. It is expected to be unlike anything humankind has experienced before, in its scale, scope, and complexity. These huge expectations also rest in the envisioned progress combining recent technological advances in the physical, digital, and biological spheres. Embedded in the physical and the biological, these revolutionary developments have the potential to revolutionize health services in a variety of ways. These may vary from highly advanced and personalize treatments for rare diseases in quaternary healthcare centers in high-income countries to the deployment of 3D printing, mHealth, and drones in primary care and humanitarian health services in low-income countries.

In this Research Topic, we invite innovative research on the frontier of the 4th industrial revolution in the health services domain. The research can vary from empirical design studies, or early technology assessments to theoretically embedded explorations and frameworks. Submission must combine an innovative character with methodological rigor and fall within the broad domain of the 4th industrial revolution. This domain encompasses (combinations of) areas such as mobile health, the internet of things, remote diagnostics, drones, robotics, additive manufacturing (3D printing), biotechnology, nanotechnology, data science, and artificial intelligence. Standard (monodisciplinary) studies in one of these areas will typically not be in scope.

We additionally welcome research which combines innovative research in one of the 4IR domains with the general SDG objectives of social inclusion and environmental protection. Submissions may for instance apply 4IR innovations to promote carbon neutral hospitals or eliminate toxic waste (environmental protection), or improve access in low income settings through multichannel service delivery models (e.g., combining mHealth, mobile outreach, and static health services), intelligent (AI based) low cost surveillance systems, or internet of things based supply chains.

Topic Editor Joris Van de Klundert holds a share in the company Pajaro A&S. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.