{"title":"Digital health for environmentally sustainable cancer screening","authors":"Vera Benedetto, Vanessa Mainardi, Francesca Pennucci, Angelo Damone, Gastone Ciuti, Sabina Nuti","doi":"10.1038/s41746-025-01561-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study explores the role of digital health in promoting environmental sustainability through a pilot study performed in rural areas in Tuscany (Italy). A multi-screening model, based on a mobile multi-screening unit (MMSU) and digital health tools, was deployed to reduce the travelled distances required for cancer screening. Serving 19 municipalities in a mountainous area, the MMSU reduced patient and caregivers’ travel, cutting CO<sub>2</sub>-equivalent emissions by over 90% compared to conventional healthcare models. The project demonstrates how integrating digital health technologies, such as telemedicine for data transmission and centralised reporting, can enhance healthcare accessibility and environmental sustainability. By consolidating multiple screenings into one visit, the MMSU model offers a scalable solution for reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint while addressing barriers to care in underserved areas. This pilot study highlights the potential of digital health to align service delivery with environmental objectives, contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable healthcare innovation.</p>","PeriodicalId":19349,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Digital Medicine","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"NPJ Digital Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01561-x","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Digital health for environmentally sustainable cancer screening
This study explores the role of digital health in promoting environmental sustainability through a pilot study performed in rural areas in Tuscany (Italy). A multi-screening model, based on a mobile multi-screening unit (MMSU) and digital health tools, was deployed to reduce the travelled distances required for cancer screening. Serving 19 municipalities in a mountainous area, the MMSU reduced patient and caregivers’ travel, cutting CO2-equivalent emissions by over 90% compared to conventional healthcare models. The project demonstrates how integrating digital health technologies, such as telemedicine for data transmission and centralised reporting, can enhance healthcare accessibility and environmental sustainability. By consolidating multiple screenings into one visit, the MMSU model offers a scalable solution for reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint while addressing barriers to care in underserved areas. This pilot study highlights the potential of digital health to align service delivery with environmental objectives, contributing to the broader discourse on sustainable healthcare innovation.
期刊介绍：
npj Digital Medicine is an online open-access journal that focuses on publishing peer-reviewed research in the field of digital medicine. The journal covers various aspects of digital medicine, including the application and implementation of digital and mobile technologies in clinical settings, virtual healthcare, and the use of artificial intelligence and informatics.
The primary goal of the journal is to support innovation and the advancement of healthcare through the integration of new digital and mobile technologies. When determining if a manuscript is suitable for publication, the journal considers four important criteria: novelty, clinical relevance, scientific rigor, and digital innovation.
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