Over the past few decades, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have revolutionized the fields of nursing and patient healthcare management. This scoping review and the accompanying case studies shed light on the extensive scope and impact of ICT in these critical healthcare domains. The scoping review explores the wide array of ICT tools employed in nursing care and patient healthcare management. These tools encompass electronic health records systems, mobile applications, telemedicine solutions, remote monitoring systems, and more. This article underscores how these technologies have enhanced the efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility of clinical information, contributing to improved patient care. ICT revolution has revitalized nursing care and patient management, improving the quality of care and patient satisfaction. This review and the accompanying case studies emphasize the ongoing potential of ICT in the healthcare sector and call for further research to maximize its benefits.

This study lays the foundation for a multidimensional framework aimed at facilitating the effective integration of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) technologies into real-world health management systems. It critically examines the technological, organizational, and societal barriers that hinder this transition and identifies key enabling conditions, such as interoperability, user co-design, and ethical design principles, that promote sustainability, inclusiveness, and trust. By proposing a structured approach to integration, this paper aims to bridge the gap between innovation and long-term, reliable adoption across diverse healthcare contexts.

Objective: Extended reality (XR), encompassing virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality, has the potential to transform therapeutic practices for individuals facing physical impairments or social isolation. This study aims to explore how XR, when integrated with advanced digital tools and information and communications technologies, can enhance psycho-physical well-being and therapeutic effectiveness, thereby improving quality of life. Methods: The research focusses on a pre-implementation phase assessing the knowledge and acceptance levels of XR technologies among healthcare professionals and the general population. For healthcare professionals, the study examines their perceived benefits of XR and their expertise in using such technologies to guide its implementation within care pathways. For the general public, the investigation centres on the perceived benefits and opportunities of XR in enhancing daily experiences and overall well-being. Results: The study facilitates the preliminary definition of user requirements for both healthcare professionals and the general public, supporting the development of relevant scenarios and the identification of suitable XR technologies for therapeutic applications. The findings highlight the essential role of healthcare professionals in integrating XR into therapeutic frameworks while emphasizing the importance of addressing user needs and expectations. The structured methodology provides a foundation for designing an inclusive system that aligns with the needs of both stakeholders. Conclusion: The successful adoption of XR in therapeutic contexts requires clear definitions, comprehensive stakeholder engagement, and structured implementation pathways. By prioritizing remote access to artistic and recreational activities, XR can be positioned as an essential element of therapeutic care, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes and quality of life.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies are increasingly being adopted in the healthcare field. Their use not only involves physicians as end users, but also the patients themselves. VR is “consumer ready” and ubiquitous, making it easy for patients to find and use self-management AR/VR tools for conditions such as non-pharmacological pain management. The limited dimensions and wearability of the VR/AR devices make it possible to benefit from them not just in healthcare facilities, but nearly everywhere, making it particularly relevant for people who are forced to stay home due to significant illness. This paper explores the possibilities of social inclusion, psychological benefits and non-pharmacological pain management derived from the routine use of VR and AR, opportunely integrated with other 6G technologies, by isolated individuals that suffer from chronic and acute conditions.

This paper presents a co-designed solution aimed at improving community healthcare assistance management. To enhance patients’ self-awareness of their health status, encouraging active participation in care process, and to support nurses in delivering patient-centered care, we have developed an innovative platform with a highly customized app. This platform was designed using a multi-disciplinary, bottom-up approach. Patient data collection and processing facilitate the automation of care timeline planning, based on real-time patients’ needs and the available resources. To achieve this goal, different components have been considered: real-time health data collection and processing, patient care planning, decision support for nurses, secure communication for data transmission, and user-friendly interfaces to ensure easy access to platform functionalities.

A 4.0 customized approach for community healthcare assistance requires the adoption of advanced technologies and a well-defined strategy to maximize efficiency and service quality. The purpose of such approach is to promote community healthcare management by enhancing patients’ self-awareness of their own health status, making them an active participant of their care journey, and simultaneously supporting nurses in home care settings. We proposed a multidisciplinary innovative systemic approach called smartHUB that focuses on end-users engagement from the initial stages and throughout the design process. Several non-profit communities were actively engaged in order to identify their needs and discuss on potential Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools that could effectively improve territorial care. The proposed solution consisted of an app, the PROASSIST 4.0 App, designed for health data collection through self-monitoring by patients or during home visits by nurses. Our preliminary results on the use of PROASSIST 4.0 App by home-visit nurses indicated that such technology had a good level of usability and functionality, despite being in a development and tuning phase. This approach opens the possibility of identifying new ICT tools with widespread adoption among healthcare providers, thus having the potential of improving community healthcare nursing assistance.