Research Appraisals
Evidence-based critical appraisals of the latest medical research, systematically evaluated using Oxford CEBM methodology.
Showing 2 appraisals
Artificial intelligence in medicine
Green artificial intelligence in health applications
As the healthcare sector increasingly integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to improve operational effectiveness, diagnosis, and therapy, the environmental footprint of these innovations has become a growing concern. High energy consumption, electronic waste, and carbon emissions associated with the deployment and training of AI models pose sustainability challenges that must be addressed. This paper investigates the concept and application of Green AI in healthcare, aiming to balance technological advancement with environmental responsibility. This systematic review explores key themes, including green computing practices, the adoption of energy-efficient AI models, and the use of renewable energy sources within healthcare settings. It identifies a range of healthcare applications employing Green AI, highlights emerging trends, and emphasizes the growing importance of environmental awareness in AI development. Furthermore, the study examines enabling tools and techniques, outlines barriers to adoption, and highlights how Green AI can help streamline processes, reduce resource waste, and promote environmentally friendly medical procedures like telemedicine. The review also discusses the significance of policy frameworks, international initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration in promoting environmentally responsible AI deployment. Finally, the paper presents practical implications and outlines future research directions to guide the sustainable evolution of AI in healthcare.
1 Aug 2026
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Are Traditional Registries Becoming Obsolete in the Modern Digital Health Ecosystem?
Registries have long been a cornerstone of medical research and public health, providing systematically collected data on diseases, treatments, and health outcomes. However, in the era of digital health, we argue that the traditional model of stand-alone registries needs reconsideration, given the context of increasingly digitized and interoperable health data ecosystems. Unless registries evolve to embrace embedded, standards-based data services, operating across interoperable infrastructure, they will become obsolete while digitalization is reshaping how data can be collected, shared, and used. In this viewpoint, we recount how the present health data ecosystem came to be and what role registries have come to play therein. Following that, we show how recent regulatory initiatives such as the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement in the United States or the European Health Data Space Regulation signal a shift toward cross-network health information exchange, promoting patient-centric data integration within electronic health record systems. We further illustrate how electronic health records are consequently set to evolve into information hubs, acting as the primary gateway for individuals through which they may access and control their personal health data spread throughout increasingly connected health data ecosystems. This, in turn, might stimulate the creation of digital twins and continuous learning health systems in practice. Following this line of thought, we discuss the opportunities and challenges of interconnected health data ecosystems. Ultimately, we propose that next-generation registries need to be designed as dynamic, service-oriented software stacks for research, leveraging the common data infrastructures that are currently being established around the world. Given the points raised in this viewpoint, we invite health care professionals and researchers alike to equally rethink the role that registries should play within the globally emerging interconnected health data ecosystems and contribute their findings. References included in this viewpoint were identified through searches of PubMed and Google Scholar with various search terms and combinations thereof pertinent to the topics touched on, for example, "patient registry," "clinical registry," "digital twin," "healthcare," "clinical research," "virtual twin," "TEFCA," or "EHDS." Only papers in English were reviewed. The final reference list was generated on the basis of originality and relevance to the broad scope of topics covered in this viewpoint, aiming to present a balanced overview of topic-related findings and arguments.
5 July 2026
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