About this Research Topic

Background

Psychiatric and neurological diseases are a major global health burden. Enhancing the efficacy of diagnostics and treatments for patients suffering from these conditions is crucial and digital medicine has enormous potential to achieve this. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, digital medicine integrates medical knowledge, behavioral psychology, human-computer interaction, software engineering, data science, and, increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI). Relevant technological advances include internet- and mobile-based interventions, smart sensors, and generative AI. Applications of these advances can provide more effective and personalized healthcare delivery. Health care policies in some European countries have further paved the way for reimbursable Digital Health Applications (DIHAs) that can be prescribed by medical doctors and psychotherapists. Digital medicine is hence set to transform and potentially revolutionize health care, particularly in psychiatry, neurology, and pain medicine, which due to the nature of these respective medical fields, have shown to be at the forefront of digital medicine developments.

This Research Topic aims to explore and discuss digital technologies that allow patients and physicians to understand, treat or potentially prevent psychiatric or neurological diseases. Given the increasing need to adapt technology across diverse settings, this Research Topic will also focus on use and development of cutting-edge and novel technologies such as VR/AR for rehabilitation in neurological and pain management contexts. We also welcome submissions that explore the implementation of digital medicine in low-resource environments, contributing to global health equity.

A specific focus within this topic is on children and adolescents. As digital natives, this emerging generation interacts seamlessly with technology, yet tailoring digital medicine to meet their specific needs and requirements poses significant challenges. We specifically invite submissions that explore digital health applications designed for this young demographic, seeking insights into innovative solutions that can enhance their medical care through technology.

Themes in scope include, but are not limited to:

- Participatory research aiming for a better understanding of specific patient needs and a more patient-centered design of digital medicine

- Applications that use generative AI for communication purposes (e.g., large language models) to facilitate patient physician interactions, support diagnostics or improve treatment conditions or healthcare delivery processes

- Interdisciplinary Integration and Advanced Technologies - integration of fields such as AI, psychology, psychiatry and software engineering into patient care.

- Children and Adolescents specific digital medicine innovation and discussion on unique challenges in this demographic

- Digital monitoring and deep phenotyping (e.g., using data from digital applications that employ questionnaires and/or record physiological data through wearable sensors)

- Internet- and mobile-based interventions ranging from stand-alone mobile applications to teletherapeutic approaches and blended care approaches.

- Digital diagnostic procedures or algorithms aiming at supporting the diagnostic process via diagnostic predictions, decision support, structural changes, enabling remote assessment or other innovations

- Platform technologies and tools that aim to improve interoperability and harmonizing data from different sources

Ethical, Global Health Economy, and Policy Challenges - ethical dilemmas emerging from digital interventions, the adaptation of digital health in varying global contexts, and the policies shaping the future of digital medicine, particularly in low-resource settings.

Submissions may be Original Research, Clinical Trial, Study Protocols, Systematic Reviews or Methods articles that investigate aspects of digital medicine in psychiatry, neurology, or pain medicine. To foster debate, we also welcome Opinion and Perspective articles that survey the field and its progress towards clinical utility. Moreover, we cordially invite submissions that discuss aspects related to ethical considerations, health policy aspects or regulatory challenges and needs, also in light of recent regulatory developments in the context of AI and medical products.

Topic Editor Lars Masanneck has received research funding from Roche, Biogen and the German Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (DMSG). The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests in relation to the Research Topic subject.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Digital medicine, Digital monitoring, Digital therapeutics, Neurology, Psychiatry

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.

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