In recent studies, platform ecosystems, an extension of business ecosystems, have emerged as highly disruptive mechanisms for generating value within various industries. The transformative influence of digital technologies on conventional business landscapes is increasingly evident, facilitating inclusive and sustainable development. However, realizing value co-creation within digital platform ecosystems faces formidable hurdles in healthcare, primarily attributed to the complex challenges surrounding privacy, security, and effective data governance. Following the Joanna Briggs Institute Guidelines for scoping reviews, the study explores the extent literature on the integration of digital platform ecosystems in healthcare. The contribution of this article is to explore the applications of platform ecosystems in healthcare delivery, specifically focusing on electronic healthcare records, smartphones, artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things, and blockchain technologies. The research identifies and discusses the challenges of implementing these technologies in the healthcare industry. Furthermore, the study proposes a healthcare platform ecosystem framework, integrating communication strategies, GDPR compliance, and architectural components. This study synthesizes the extant literature to formulate a theoretical healthcare ecosystem framework for improved patient-centric care. The review and resultant framework is intended to support understanding of digital health dynamics and guides healthcare organizations, technology developers, and policymakers in ensuring data security, compliance and interoperability.

Delivering quality healthcare rests on multiple interactions between several actors. From providers and patients to insurers and policymakers, each contributes to a network of services that promote, maintain, and restore health. Digital platforms are emerging as an innovative approach to facilitate this collaboration. These platforms function as collaborative networks where independent actors integrate resources around a central platform to co-create value. However, despite the promise of digital platforms in healthcare, a critical knowledge gap persists on how actor roles evolve within platform ecosystems. This paper investigates the evolutionary dynamics of digital platform ecosystems in healthcare. The study presents a case study approach to systematically collect and analyse data on the five chronological stages of the Discovery ecosystem development. Through an event history analysis, we focus on (i) actors and roles enacted during ecosystem emergence, (ii) the timing of activities during the evolutionary stages, and (iii) discovery and the evolution of its platform ecosystem. The paper’s findings contribute to understanding actor roles, interactions, role diversity, and ecosystem activities during digital platform development. For managers and practitioners, our study underlines a model for building partnerships with technology providers, financial institutions and other stakeholders to co-create value and improve patient outcomes.

Periodontal regeneration remains one of the most demanding challenges in oral bioengineering due to the structural complexity of the periodontium and the inflammatory microenvironment accompanying disease. Conventional surgical and pharmacological therapies often fail to achieve full restoration of bone, ligament and cementum, prompting the development of cell-based and biomaterial-assisted approaches. This review summarizes current advances in cellular technologies for periodontal regeneration, emphasizing the biological rationale, material design and delivery methods shaping next-generation treatments. We discuss stem-cell-based strategies employing periodontal ligament, dental pulp and mesenchymal stem cells, their paracrine and immunomodulatory roles, and how their therapeutic potential is enhanced through integration into engineered scaffolds. Recent progress in hydrogel systems, microspheres, decellularized matrices and 3D bioprinting is analyzed, highlighting how structural cues, bioactive nanoparticles and gene-modified cells enable multi-tissue regeneration. Emerging delivery and biofabrication techniques, from manual seeding to automated and in situ printing, are reviewed as key determinants of clinical translation. The convergence of bioprinting precision, immune-responsive biomaterials and personalized cellular constructs positions periodontal bioengineering as a rapidly maturing field with strong prospects for functional restoration of diseased oral tissues.

Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive respiratory condition that limits airflow, and its effective management often depends on the precise timing of bronchodilator delivery. Current manual administration methods of aerosols using bronchodilators frequently lead to poor clinical outcomes, reduced therapeutic efficacy, and increased burden on healthcare providers due to the challenge of actuation-inhalation coordination in usage. This study presents the development of an automated metered dosage inhaler (MDI) delivery system incorporating breath detection to improve actuation-inhalation coordination during bronchodilator therapy in ventilated patients. Methods Following system requirements, an automated MDI delivery system was designed and integrated with a breath detection mechanism to detect inhalation phases and actuate the MDI in synchronisation with patient breaths. Bench testing using a breathing stimulator assessed timing accuracy and aerosol release dynamics under simulated ventilatory conditions. Results Validation experiments consistently show the system’s ability to achieve actuation within the optimal time window of 0–0.2 s post-inhalation onset. This significantly improves upon the variability of manual methods in bronchodilator therapy. The performance tests confirm the device’s accuracy in detecting inhalation, synchronising actuation, and maintaining dosage consistency, further showcasing its potential to improve clinical outcomes and patient comfort in intensive care units. Conclusion The system achieved consistent actuation-inhalation synchronization with reduced variability, though limitations remain in size and durability. The findings improve the understanding of actuation-inhalation coordination and offer a promising solution to the challenges of bronchodilator delivery in mechanically ventilated COPD patients.