About this Research Topic

Background

Racial, ethnic, socio-economic, geographic disparities contribute significantly to healthcare disparities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several reports from different parts of the world have highlighted how some of these healthcare disparities may have contributed to increased mortality and worse outcomes. As healthcare systems across the world were being overwhelmed by COVID19, non-COVID19 positive neurologically critically ill patients with stroke, traumatic brain injury etc. may not have been able to avail the care they needed. This has led to a renewed interest and a sense of urgency in better understanding healthcare disparities, bridging gaps and preparing healthcare systems across the world better for the next pandemic. Even prior to the pandemic, while there are studies to suggest that healthcare disparities and regional variabilities have existed in access and types of services available for neurocritical care and rehabilitation for neurologically critically ill patients how these differences impact outcomes is less well understood.

The goal of this research topic will be to provide contributors an avenue for highlighting current research, programs that may have had a positive impact on bridging gaps in care and identify and identifying key areas of opportunities for studying healthcare disparities in the care of neurologically critically ill patients from triage, acute care to post-acute care and rehabilitation. Despite the progress in neurocritical care, there are several differences in the types of services and resources available for neurologically critically ill in different parts of the world. Understanding these differences, their impact on outcomes can help identify new areas for further research.

In this Research Topic, we encourage the submission of original research reports, methods articles, perspectives, reviews and mini reviews in the following (but not limited to) topics:
- Racial, socioeconomic and regional differences in neurocritical care resources and outcomes
-Racial, socioeconomic and regional differences in rehabilitation services
-The use of telemedicine in bridging gaps in care for neurocritical care and rehabilitation
-The impact of COVID19 on healthcare disparities in neurocritical care
- Racial, socioeconomic and regional differences in resources available for neurotrauma, stroke triage
-Implementation of innovative practices in resource-challenged settings for neurocritical care and rehabilitation

Conflict of Interests declaration:
𝘋𝘳. 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴.
𝘋𝘳. 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘹𝘘 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘴 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
𝘋𝘳. 𝘕𝘦𝘩𝘢 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴: 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘉𝘦𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦’𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘗𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵; 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘣𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦. 𝘋𝘳. 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.

Keywords: Healthcare disparities, stroke, neurocritical care, traumatic brain injury, neurorehabilitation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a Research Topic?

  Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

  Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

• Why does Frontiers publish Research Topics? 

  The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

  Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

• Why are Research Topics important for journals?

  As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

  A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

• How do we ensure the quality of articles within Research Topics?

  Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

  In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

• What are the benefits of publishing my article in a Research Topic?

  Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

  As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

  Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

   
• What types of articles can be published in a Research Topic?

  Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

  Check available article types here 

• Can I suggest a new Research Topic? 

  Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

  Suggest your topic here 

• Who leads a Research Topic? 

  A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

  The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

• What is the role of a topic editor?

  As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

   

  You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

• What support will I receive when editing a new Research Topic? 

  As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

• As a junior researcher, can I be involved in editing a Research Topic? 

  If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

• Can I get a certificate for editing a Research Topic?

  Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

• Who will I collaborate with?

  Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

• How long does it take to publish a Research Topic?

  As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

  Find out more about our Research Topics

• What fee support is available to authors publishing in a Research Topic?

  Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

  Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

• Will there be a printed version of my Research Topic?

  In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.