Search

As in general pathology, digitalization is also inexorably making its way into dermatopathology. This article examines the current state of digitalization in German dermatopathology laboratories based on the authors' own experiences, the current study situation, and a survey of members of the Dermatological Histology Working Group (ADH). Experiences with the establishment of a digital laboratory workflow, artificial intelligence (AI)-based assistance systems, and whole slide images (WSI)-based training programs are discussed. Digitalization in dermatopathology is an opportunity to simplify and accelerate processes, but there are some hurdles to overcome., Competing Interests: Einhaltung ethischer Richtlinien. Interessenkonflikt: S.A. Braun, P. Schmidle, N. Duschner und J. Schaller geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht. Für diesen Beitrag wurden von den Autor/-innen keine Studien an Menschen oder Tieren durchgeführt. Für die aufgeführten Studien gelten die jeweils dort angegebenen ethischen Richtlinien., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Telemedical care concepts provide opportunities to improve the care of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The current state of telemedical technologies enables the effective monitoring of the disease. Germany is one of the first European countries with an entitlement to telemedical supporting care for CHF patients. The decision of the German Federal Joint Committee in 2020 to introduce telemedical supporting care for CHF patients marks a milestone. For the first time, a digital care procedure was included in the benefits catalogue of the statutory health insurance funds due to its proven benefits in terms of morbidity and mortality. Privately insured CHF patients have been entitled to these benefits since January 2024. Future developments, particularly with respect to artificial intelligence procedures in telemedicine, are promising but require more evidence. Further research, technological innovation and supportive policy frameworks are needed to realize the full potential of these approaches. Continued collaboration between healthcare professionals, technology developers and policy makers will be crucial in sustainably improving the care of heart failure patients with telemedicine., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Healthcare 4.0 describes the future transformation of the healthcare sector driven by the combination of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data and the Internet of Medical Things, enabling the advancement of precision medicine. This overview article addresses various areas such as large language models (LLM), diagnostics and robotics, shedding light on the positive aspects of Healthcare 4.0 and showcasing exciting methods and application examples in cardiology. It delves into the broad knowledge base and enormous potential of LLMs, highlighting their immediate benefits as digital assistants or for administrative tasks. In diagnostics, the increasing usefulness of wearables is emphasized and an AI for predicting heart filling pressures based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is introduced. Additionally, it discusses the revolutionary methodology of a digital simulation of the physical heart (digital twin). Finally, it addresses both regulatory frameworks and a brief vision of data-driven healthcare delivery, explaining the need for investments in technical personnel and infrastructure to achieve a more effective medicine., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Medizin Verlag GmbH, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Industry 4.0 is an innovation framework launched initially at the 2011 Hanover Fair in Germany. It is premised on extreme digital connectivity to build smart factories and deliver extreme automation in science and society. Industry 4.0 has recently scaled up worldwide beyond Germany and Europe. Industry 4.0 employs the Internet of Things (IoT) to connect, communicate, and collect big data from embedded sensors in living and inanimate objects. When we add artificial intelligence (AI) powered real-time data analyses to the IoT, a state of worldwide extreme connectivity, or "The Quantified Planet," is created. By its focus on connectivity at a systems scale, the Industry 4.0 is of interest to health products manufacturing and service automation in medicine, biology, ecology, and society. But there are also unchecked assumptions. This article poses a question that has so far been neglected in the Industry 4.0 innovation echo chamber. Is it always good to have pervasive connectivity and extreme integration to the point that "everything is connected to everything else"? For example, extreme connectivity creates an "All Your Eggs in One Basket" problem and thus potential for complete network collapse in a domino effect when a component in a highly integrated system fails. Digital connectivity cultivates a fertile ground for new social and political power structures for authoritarian governance (i.e., a worrisome state of "pansurveillance") by one person in total control of knowledge networks in science and society, directly or through connected proxies. Filter bubbles created by extreme digital connectivity and AI can result in compressed foresight, lackluster innovation, and monocultures in laboratory life. The way forward is to harness Industry 4.0 and connectivity without such digital network toxicity. Similar to fire exits in skyscrapers and other built environments, designing innovation systems with extreme connectivity demands that we also think of "exit plans" from the omnipresent digital networks, IoT, and The Quantified Planet-both for safety and sustained creativity. Finally, the relationship between new technologies and society is far from being a simple one-directional interaction; it is not the technologies that cause social disruption. On the contrary, it is the value-loaded decisions made by individuals, organizations, and other social actors that shape sociotechnical change. Recognizing the latter narrative is important because it informs how we do science and can best respond to uncertainties and opaque assumptions embedded in emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, and Industry 4.0.