Emerging Applications and Sustainable Practices for Telemedicine in Pediatric Care

Telemedicine, a remote provision of healthcare services via telecommunication technologies, is profoundly impacting pediatric healthcare. Initially employed as an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has now transitioned towards sustainable long-term healthcare delivery. It offers solutions to enduring issues like limited access to hospitals and continuity of pediatric care. Despite its transformative potential, telemedicine faces challenges such as digital inequality and the necessity for remote physical examinations, which impede widespread adoption. Current studies show telemedicine's utility in managing chronic pediatric conditions such as diabetes and asthma, underscoring its potential to enhance patient care experiences and reduce healthcare costs. However, substantial opportunities to integrate telemedicine into uncharted pediatric specialties and remote communication methods remain underexplored, highlighting the need for further investigation into its comprehensive application.

This Research Topic aims to explore the growing use and sustainable integration of telemedicine in pediatric care. It seeks to elucidate the long-term value of telemedicine by examining its clinical effectiveness, impact on patient and caregiver experiences, and potential to improve population health. Additionally, it will analyze the economic benefits and sustainable workforce models essential for virtual pediatric healthcare. By addressing ethical and policy considerations, the research will also investigate the exploration of novel telemedicine applications, such as Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Thing enhanced models, in the context of evolving healthcare dynamics.

To gather further insights into the prospects and limitations of telemedicine in pediatric care, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Assessment of clinical effectiveness and health outcomes via telemedicine in pediatric care
• Patient, caregiver, and health professional satisfaction and accessibility in telemedicine services
• Economic and operational sustainability in pediatric telemedicine
• Ethical and policy considerations in telemedicine practice
• Exploration of innovative telemedicine applications, including AI and IoT in pediatrics
• Analysis of implementation failures and strategies for overcoming barriers within telemedicine programs

We are particularly interested in original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, or general commentaries addressing these issues.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: telemedicine, pediatric care, Pediatric chronic disease management, Caregiver experience, Pediatric healthcare access

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.