Bridging Physiology, Technology, and Human Factors in Anesthesiology and Critical Care

Anesthesiology and critical care medicine are at the forefront of integrating physiological principles into daily clinical practice, continually shaping the way patient care is provided in rapidly evolving healthcare settings. Recent advancements in physiological modeling, computational data science, and high-fidelity simulation are transforming clinical monitoring and therapeutic strategies, allowing for more precise prediction and management of organ function. Despite these technological strides, ensuring optimal patient outcomes requires a parallel focus on human factors such as communication, teamwork, and situational awareness, and the capacity to adapt within complex clinical environments. While significant progress has been achieved through interdisciplinary research and innovation, major challenges persist in aligning emerging scientific discoveries with practical applications at the bedside, particularly regarding the integration of novel technologies and the cultivation of non-technical skills that underpin safe, resilient healthcare systems.

This Research Topic aims to build dynamic connections between physiological knowledge, medical technology, and human factors in anesthesiology and critical care. The objective is to catalyze a multidisciplinary dialogue that encourages translational research, fosters technology transfer from academic to clinical domains, and advances understanding of the behavioral and cognitive aspects that impact patient safety and system performance. By synergizing laboratory research, engineering innovation, and real-world clinical expertise, the Research Topic seeks to inspire novel approaches for optimizing perioperative and intensive care, ultimately shaping patient-centric practices and training a new generation of clinician-innovators.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses the intersection of basic physiology, technological innovation, and human factor research within perioperative and intensive care contexts. Contributions are not limited to these domains, but manuscripts must illustrate clear relevance to anesthesiology or critical care. To gather further insights in this interdisciplinary field, we welcome original research, systematic reviews, mini-reviews, and perspective articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Mechanisms of organ response to anesthesia and critical illness, including translational science and experimental models

• Neuraxial anesthesia and regional anesthesia

• Innovative applications of artificial intelligence, decision support, advanced monitoring, POCUS, and smart devices

• Pathways for technology transfer, including clinical validation, system integration, and industrial collaboration

• Clinical and perioperative anesthesia practices, such as enhanced recovery, organ protection, and advanced sedation strategies

• Critical care medicine, focusing on organ support, extracorporeal therapies, and management of sepsis and ethical challenges

• Human factors and non-technical skills, including simulation, cognitive ergonomics, communication, and decision-making

• Interdisciplinary and system-level perspectives, building collaboration among clinicians, engineers, physiologists, psychologists, and educators.

Keywords: Anesthesiology, Critical Care, Physiology, Innovation, Technology Transfer, Monitoring, Human Factors, Simulation, Non-Technical Skills, Patient Safety, regional anesthesia, neuroaxial block

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.