Telemedicine, eHealth Applications for Health of Musculoskeletal System

Dear Colleagues,

Telemedicine and eHealth reflect the changes in modern medicine in the form of digital transformation. Transformational changes are entering fields with over 100 years of tradition in analyzing and transmitting medical signals. Digitization in the treatment areas has shorter practices. Literature reviews on digitization, including orthopedics, orthopedic trauma, spine surgery, and other fields dealing with injuries, disorders, and health of the musculoskeletal system, date back to 1993. An example would be the number of publications available in the PubMed database on telemedicine and orthopedics. In 2019, the number of publications increased from single publications in the early 1990s to 65.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp increase in the interest in telemedicine in Orthopedics; thus, the number of publications increased to 235 in 2020 (an increase of 231%) and reached 285 in 2021 (438%). It is anticipated that the number of articles on this subject will increase even more compared to 2022. The need to change the approach to admitting patients in the face-to-face scheme in the face of the pandemic in most countries has become fully understood, affecting both patients and doctors. Telemedicine and eHealth supported by various other forms of digitization have become recommended as available and possible solutions. High aspects of Digital health are undergoing extensive development. These solutions are gaining more acceptance in various clinical specialties dealing with the musculoskeletal system worldwide. The digitization of medicine and the rapid growth of mobile and home devices have affected the recognition of such technologies and the growing interest of medical professionals and patients. With challenging circumstances restricting travel possibilities, it is essential to fully understand telemedicine solutions and remote health surveillance applications for their practical use. Such solutions are being used in various aspects of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Teleconsultations using multiple types of videoconferences are the most common. Telemedicine and eHealth applications have also been successfully demonstrated in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries and disorders of the locomotor system.

The digitization of medicine and the rapid development of mobile and home devices have influenced the recognition of such technologies and the growing interest of physicians and patients. Under challenging conditions which have limited travel opportunities, it is essential to understand digital, stationary, and remote telemedicine solutions in the strict sense of the word and in terms of remote health surveillance (telecare) for practical application. Such solutions are used in various aspects of diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. The most common are teleconsultations with the use of many types of videoconferencing. The applications of telemedicine and e-health have also been successfully demonstrated in diagnosing and treating injuries and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Much attention is paid to the issues of satisfaction with diagnostics and remote treatment.

Orthopedic patient recovery can be affected by the effectiveness of digital medical imaging diagnostics, preoperative planning, virtual reality, augmented reality, and hybrid solutions in Operating rooms, orthopedic surgery, physiotherapy, orthotics, prosthetics, etc. Direct and indirect digital aspects of clinical musculoskeletal practice may include virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics, preoperative planning using digital templates, and TM and eH. Using TM and eH may increase the ability to deliver specialized orthopedic care and improve patient satisfaction, mainly when regular healthcare delivery is permanently or temporarily limited. With the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations for using TM and eH and digital solutions are necessary for reducing unnecessary person-to-person contact in orthopedics and traumatology and improving treatment precision. Therefore, the primary purpose of this Special Issue is to present current evidence and recommendations for digital and eMedicine solutions, including TM and eH, use in orthopedics, traumatology, and other specialties dealing with musculoskeletal injuries and disorders.

Authors are welcome to join by contributing to this Special Issue of the IJERPH Telemedicine, eHealth, and Digital transformation for Injuries, Disorders, and Health of Musculoskeletal System that is either in development or currently used worldwide in clinical practice.  Articles should highlight various aspects of the ongoing digital transformation applicable to the musculoskeletal system, digitally enhanced innovations, best practices, incentives, projects, and barriers to deployment.

Dr. Wojciech Glinkowski
Guest Editor

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• telemedicine
• eHealth
• telehealth
• eMedicine
• digital medicine
• applications
• orthopedics
• traumatology
• musculoskeletal system
• innovation
• clinical practice
• virtual reality
• augmented reality
• digital templating
• robotics