SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Health Informatics
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2025.1582719
The Evolution of Digital Health: A Global, Latin American, and Brazilian Bibliometric Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Maria Eulália Vinadé Chagas*
Gabriela de Oliveira Laguna SilvaGabriel Ricardo FernandesGabriela Tizianel AguilarMariana Motta Dias da SilvaEvandro Luis MoraesIsadora D Avila LotticiJerusa da Rosa de AmorimTiago de AbreuTaís de Campos Moreira
Felipe Cezar Cabral- Moinhos de Vento Hospital, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Digital health provides remote healthcare assistance, contributing to reducing inequalities in access to services. For its widespread adoption, it is essential to disseminate successful models implemented in countries with developed digital health networks, so that they can be adapted and replicated in developing regions. The dissemination of scientific studies on the topic, combining digital health activities within various contexts with scientific research, is crucial for promoting significant advancements in the understanding and application of these technologies. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global scientific production in digital health from 2019 to 2024, with special attention to Latin America and Brazil. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted with searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The analysis used the Bibliometrix package in RStudio, and the data were filtered for the global dimension, Latin American countries, and Brazil. The authorship analysis was restricted to publications with at least one Brazilian author and was carried out through a manual check of each record. The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework platform under the number 10.17605/OSF.IO/43WQ5. Results: A total of 51,723 publications were included in the global dimension, 2,410 in Latin America, and 1,317 in the Brazilian analysis. The number of publications increased from 2019 to 2021. In the global scenario, the United States led scientific production in digital health, whereas Brazil led in Latin America. Conclusions: Digital health has expanded exponentially, consolidating itself as a strategic pillar in healthcare systems. Investments in international collaborations that encourage knowledge exchange, strengthen research networks, and drive scientific publications are essential. These partnerships are crucial for adapting digital tools to different socioeconomic contexts and ensuring equitable care for the population.
Keywords: bibliometric analysis, Digital Health, Latin America, Brazil, Telemedicine
Received: 24 Feb 2025; Accepted: 09 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Vinadé Chagas, de Oliveira Laguna Silva, Ricardo Fernandes, Tizianel Aguilar, Motta Dias da Silva, Moraes, D Avila Lottici, da Rosa de Amorim, de Abreu, de Campos Moreira and Cezar Cabral. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Maria Eulália Vinadé Chagas, Moinhos de Vento Hospital, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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