This study delves into the transformative potential of integrating augmented reality (AR) within imaging technologies, shedding light on this evolving landscape. Through a comprehensive narrative review, this research uncovers a wealth of literature exploring the intersection between AR and medical imaging, highlighting its growing prominence in healthcare. AR’s integration offers a host of potential opportunities to enhance surgical precision, bolster patient engagement, and customize medical interventions. Moreover, when combined with technologies like virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics, AR opens up new avenues for innovation in clinical practice, education, and training. However, amidst these promising prospects lie numerous unanswered questions and areas ripe for exploration. This study emphasizes the need for rigorous research to elucidate the clinical efficacy of AR-integrated interventions, optimize surgical workflows, and address technological challenges. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, sustained research efforts are crucial to fully realizing AR’s transformative impact in medical imaging. Systematic reviews on AR in healthcare also overlook regulatory and developmental factors, particularly in regard to medical devices. These include compliance with standards, safety regulations, risk management, clinical validation, and developmental processes. Addressing these aspects will provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities in integrating AR into clinical settings, informing stakeholders about crucial regulatory and developmental considerations for successful implementation. Moreover, navigating the regulatory approval process requires substantial financial resources and expertise, presenting barriers to entry for smaller innovators. Collaboration across disciplines and concerted efforts to overcome barriers will be essential in navigating this frontier and harnessing the potential of AR to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

This study investigates, through a narrative review, the transformative impact of deep learning (DL) in the field of radiotherapy, particularly in light of the accelerated developments prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed approach was based on an umbrella review following a standard narrative checklist and a qualification process. The selection process identified 19 systematic review studies. Through an analysis of current research, the study highlights the revolutionary potential of DL algorithms in optimizing treatment planning, image analysis, and patient outcome prediction in radiotherapy. It underscores the necessity of further exploration into specific research areas to unlock the full capabilities of DL technology. Moreover, the study emphasizes the intricate interplay between digital radiology and radiotherapy, revealing how advancements in one field can significantly influence the other. This interdependence is crucial for addressing complex challenges and advancing the integration of cutting-edge technologies into clinical practice. Collaborative efforts among researchers, clinicians, and regulatory bodies are deemed essential to effectively navigate the evolving landscape of DL in radiotherapy. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and conducting thorough investigations, stakeholders can fully leverage the transformative power of DL to enhance patient care and refine therapeutic strategies. Ultimately, this promises to usher in a new era of personalized and optimized radiotherapy treatment for improved patient outcomes.

Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important aspect to investigate for the adoption and use of care robots, in term of both patients’ safety, and the availability, integrity and privacy of their data. This study focuses on opinions about cybersecurity relevance and related skills for physiotherapists involved in rehabilitation and assistance thanks to the aid of robotics. The goal was to investigate the awareness among insiders about some facets of cybersecurity concerning human–robot interactions. We designed an electronic questionnaire and submitted it to a relevant sample of physiotherapists. The questionnaire allowed us to collect data related to: (i) use of robots and its relationship with cybersecurity in the context of physiotherapy; (ii) training in cybersecurity and robotics for the insiders; (iii) insiders’ self-assessment on cybersecurity and robotics in some usage scenarios, and (iv) their experiences of cyber-attacks in this area and proposals for improvement. Besides contributing some specific statistics, the study highlights the importance of both acculturation processes in this field and monitoring initiatives based on surveys. The study exposes direct suggestions for continuation of these types of investigations in the context of scientific societies operating in the rehabilitation and assistance robotics. The study also shows the need to stimulate similar initiatives in other sectors of medical robotics (robotic surgery, care and socially assistive robots, rehabilitation systems, training for health and care workers) involving insiders.

Care robots represent an opportunity for the health domain. The use of these devices has important implications. They can be used in surgical operating rooms in important and delicate clinical interventions, in motion, in training-and-simulation, and cognitive and rehabilitation processes. They are involved in continuous processes of evolution in technology and clinical practice. Therefore, the introduction into routine clinical practice is difficult because this needs the stability and the standardization of processes. The agreement tools, in this case, are of primary importance for the clinical acceptance and introduction. The opinion focuses on the Consensus Conference tool and: (a) highlights its potential in the field; (b) explores the state of use; (c) detects the peculiarities and problems (d) expresses ideas on how improve its diffusion.

(Background) Over the years, there has been increasing interest in adopting a quality approach in radiology, leading to the strategic pursuit of specific and key performance indicators (KPIs). These indicators in radiology can have significant impacts ranging from radiation protection to integration into digital healthcare. (Purpose) This study aimed to conduct a narrative review on the integration of key performance indicators (KPIs) in radiology with specific key questions. (Methods) This review utilized a standardized checklist for narrative reviews, including the ANDJ Narrative Checklist, to ensure thoroughness and consistency. Searches were performed on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using a combination of keywords related to radiology and KPIs, with Boolean logic to refine results. From an initial yield of 211 studies, 127 were excluded due to a lack of focus on KPIs. The remaining 84 studies were assessed for clarity, design, and methodology, with 26 ultimately selected for detailed review. The evaluation process involved multiple assessors to minimize bias and ensure a rigorous analysis. (Results and Discussion) This overview highlights the following: KPIs are crucial for advancing radiology by supporting the evolution of imaging technologies (e.g., CT, MRI) and integrating emerging technologies like AI and AR/VR. They ensure high standards in diagnostic accuracy, image quality, and operational efficiency, enhancing diagnostic capabilities and streamlining workflows. KPIs are vital for radiological safety, measuring adherence to protocols that minimize radiation exposure and protect patients. The effective integration of KPIs into healthcare systems requires systematic development, validation, and standardization, supported by national and international initiatives. Addressing challenges like CAD-CAM technology and home-based radiology is essential. Developing specialized KPIs for new technologies will be key to continuous improvement in patient care and radiological practices. (Conclusions) In conclusion, KPIs are essential for advancing radiology, while future research should focus on improving data access and developing specialized KPIs to address emerging challenges. Future research should focus on expanding documentation sources, improving web search methods, and establishing direct connections with scientific associations.

The study focuses on emerging problems caused by the spread of medical apps. Firstly, it reviews the current role of cybersecurity and identifies the potential need to widen the boundaries of cybersecurity in relation to these apps. Secondly, it focuses on the pivotal device behind the development of mHealth: the smartphone, and highlights its role and current potential for hosting wearable medical technology. Thirdly, it addresses emerging issues regarding these apps, which are in a gray zone. This is done through an analysis of the important positions of scholars, and by means of a survey report on the increased use of various categories of apps during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting an accentuation of the problem. The study ends by explaining the reflections and proposals that emerged after performing the analysis.