Digital solutions are gaining increasing importance and present a challenge regarding their introduction and acceptance into professional medical environments. Significant advances have been made regarding the availability, safety, and ease of use of data generated by a multitude of devices and wearables. However, data security and data protection are delaying factors. The underlying analysis focuses on the use and acceptance of digital solutions, and their respective differences between health care professionals and patients.

This study examines the current use and acceptance of digital solutions among health care professionals and patients. In addition, it derives an outlook on future developments and expectations in the setting of innovative technologies able to penetrate the health market.

An anonymous web-based survey of 23 multiple-choice and 3 open-text questions was conducted among medical professionals and patients between April and September 2023. In this study, quantitative analysis was performed using Python, with Pandas for data processing and Matplotlib for visualization. Chi-square tests were used to analyze binary categorical data, while Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate ordinal data. Additionally, a qualitative analysis was conducted to summarize the results of the open-ended questions.

During 178 days, the survey garnered 2058 clicks, resulting in 1389 participants (67.5% response rate). A total of 1002 participants completed the entire questionnaire, while 387 (27.9%) did not finish. Incomplete responses were excluded from the comprehensive analysis. The sample comprised 271 (27%) physicians and 731 (73%) patients. The study found significant agreement between both groups in adopting and foreseeing the use of digital health tools and telemedicine. Both groups recognized the future importance of digital health without substantial differences.

Overall, attitudes toward digital health and telemedicine were consistent, reflecting a uniform acceptance and expectation of these technologies among health care professionals and patients. The consensus on telemedicine's future role over the next 5 years indicates a unified vision for digital health paradigms. These consistencies between the 2 groups might be future drivers for improvements in accessibility, convenience, and efficiency in health care delivery.

The integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies into cosmetic dermatology offers new avenues for enhancing patient engagement, satisfaction, and decision-making. These immersive tools allow patients to better visualize the outcomes of procedures before treatment, improving communication with physicians and increasing confidence in cosmetic interventions. Despite the promise these technologies hold, there remain concerns regarding their accessibility, technical limitations, ethical challenges, and the potential for algorithmic bias. This commentary aims to explore the psychosocial implications of AR and VR in cosmetic consultations, focusing on their benefits and potential drawbacks.

This commentary is based on a comprehensive review of literature on AR and VR applications in cosmetic procedures. The focus is on the psychosocial impact of these technologies, highlighting their influence on patient expectations, satisfaction, and decision-making. Studies that evaluate the integration of AR and VR into cosmetic consultations were analyzed to assess the benefits and challenges associated with these tools.

The analysis revealed that AR and VR significantly enhance patient involvement by allowing real-time visualization of treatment outcomes, which improves both understanding and satisfaction. Patients reported feeling more informed and confident in their decisions when using these tools during consultations. Furthermore, these technologies allow physicians to offer more personalized and detailed consultations, thus improving communication and alignment of expectations. However, several challenges remain: AR and VR technologies are expensive, their use can lead to discomfort (cybersickness), and algorithmic bias may skew patient perceptions, particularly in underrepresented demographic groups. There are also ethical concerns about data security and transparency of the algorithms used in these systems.

AR and VR hold tremendous potential to revolutionize patient care in cosmetic dermatology by enhancing engagement, improving decision-making, and increasing overall patient satisfaction. Nonetheless, the full realization of these benefits will require addressing technical and ethical challenges through ongoing research, regulatory oversight, and collaboration between medical professionals and technology developers.

This editorial comments on the article by Alzerwi. We focus on the development course, present challenges, and future perspectives of medical education. Modern medical education is gradually undergoing significant and profound changes worldwide. The emergence of new ideas, methodologies, and techniques has created opportunities for medical education developments and brought new concerns and challenges, ultimately promoting virtuous progress in medical education reform. The sustainable development of medical education needs joint efforts and support from governments, medical colleges, hospitals, researchers, administrators, and educators.

We focus on the importance and necessity of post-competency-based training in medical education alongside its current challenges and opportunities. Integrating post competency training into standardized educational frameworks is increasingly recognized as a critical component of preparing residents and postgraduates for real-world clinical practice. Post competency training represents a commitment to excellence in medical education, striving to produce competent, skilled practitioners to meet the challenges of modern healthcare.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes pervasive in healthcare, including applications like robotic surgery and image analysis, the World Medical Association emphasises integrating AI education into medical curricula. This study evaluates medical students' perceptions of 'AI in medicine', their preferences for AI training in education, and their grasp of AI's ethical implications in healthcare.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 325 medical students in Kerala using a pre-validated, semi structured questionnaire. The survey collected demographic data, any past educational experience about AI, participants' self-evaluation of their knowledge and evaluated self-perceived understanding of applications of AI in medicine. Participants responded to twelve Likert-scale questions targeting perceptions and ethical aspects and their opinions on suggested topics on AI to be included in their curriculum.

AI was viewed as an assistive technology for reducing medical errors by 57.2% students and 54.2% believed AI could enhance medical decision accuracy. About 49% agreed that AI could potentially improve accessibility to healthcare. Concerns about AI replacing physicians were reported by 37.6% and 69.2% feared a reduction in the humanistic aspect of medicine. Students were worried about challenges to trust (52.9%), patient-physician relationships (54.5%) and breach of professional confidentiality (53.5%). Only 3.7% felttotally competent in informing patients about features and risks associated with AI applications. Strong demand for structured AI training was expressed, particularly on reducing medical errors (76.9%) and ethical issues (79.4%).

This study highlights medical students' demand for structured AI training in undergraduate curricula, emphasising its importance in addressing evolving healthcare needs and ethical considerations. Despite widespread ethical concerns, the majority perceive AI as an assistive technology in healthcare. These findings provide valuable insights for curriculum development and defining learning outcomes in AI education for medical students.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the practice of medicine. Systems assessing chest radiographs, pathology slides, and early warning systems embedded in electronic health records (EHRs) are becoming ubiquitous in medical practice. Despite this, medical students have minimal exposure to the concepts necessary to utilize and evaluate AI systems, leaving them under prepared for future clinical practice. We must work quickly to bolster undergraduate medical education around AI to remedy this. In this commentary, we propose that medical educators treat AI as a critical component of medical practice that is introduced early and integrated with the other core components of medical school curricula. Equipping graduating medical students with this knowledge will ensure they have the skills to solve challenges arising at the confluence of AI and medicine.