Digital health for environmentally sustainable cancer screening

IF 15.1 1区医学 Q1 HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES NPJ Digital Medicine Pub Date : 2025-03-29 DOI:10.1038/s41746-025-01561-x

Vera Benedetto, Vanessa Mainardi, Francesca Pennucci, Angelo Damone, Gastone Ciuti, Sabina Nuti

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Abstract

This study explores the role of digital health in promoting environmental sustainability through a pilot study performed in rural areas in Tuscany (Italy). A multi-screening model, based on a mobile multi-screening unit (MMSU) and digital health tools, was deployed to reduce the travelled distances required for cancer screening. Serving 19 municipalities in a mountainous area, the MMSU reduced patient and caregivers’ travel, cutting CO₂-equivalent emissions by over 90% compared to conventional healthcare models. The project demonstrates how integrating digital health technologies, such as telemedicine for data transmission and centralised reporting, can enhance healthcare accessibility and environmental sustainability. By consolidating multiple screenings into one visit, the MMSU model offers a scalable solution for reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint while addressing barriers to care in underserved areas. This pilot study highlights the potential of digital health to align service delivery with environmental objectives, contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable healthcare innovation.

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数字健康促进环境可持续的癌症筛查

本研究通过在意大利托斯卡纳农村地区开展的一项试点研究，探讨了数字医疗在促进环境可持续性方面的作用。研究采用了一种基于移动多筛查单元（MMSU）和数字健康工具的多筛查模式，以减少癌症筛查所需的路程。MMSU 服务于山区的 19 个城市，减少了患者和护理人员的旅行，与传统医疗模式相比，减少了 90% 以上的二氧化碳当量排放。该项目展示了如何通过整合数字医疗技术（如用于数据传输和集中报告的远程医疗）来提高医疗服务的可及性和环境的可持续性。通过将多项筛查合并为一次就诊，MMSU 模式为减少医疗保健的碳足迹提供了一个可扩展的解决方案，同时解决了服务不足地区的医疗保健障碍。这项试点研究凸显了数字医疗在使服务提供与环境目标相一致方面的潜力，为更广泛的可持续医疗创新讨论做出了贡献。

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来源期刊

NPJ Digital Medicine Multiple-

CiteScore

25.10

自引率

3.30%

发文量

170

审稿时长

15 weeks

期刊介绍： npj Digital Medicine is an online open-access journal that focuses on publishing peer-reviewed research in the field of digital medicine. The journal covers various aspects of digital medicine, including the application and implementation of digital and mobile technologies in clinical settings, virtual healthcare, and the use of artificial intelligence and informatics. The primary goal of the journal is to support innovation and the advancement of healthcare through the integration of new digital and mobile technologies. When determining if a manuscript is suitable for publication, the journal considers four important criteria: novelty, clinical relevance, scientific rigor, and digital innovation.