Regulatory frameworks and digital adoption in emergency surgery: A systematic review in public hospitals
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Abstract
The incorporation of digital technologies into the management of surgical emergencies has become essential for improving efficiency and service quality in public hospitals, although their implementation remains conditioned by heterogeneous regulatory frameworks that may either facilitate or restrict their use. In this context, the objective of this article was to identify and analyze the regulatory frameworks that influence the adoption of these technologies in the management of surgical emergencies, in order to understand how health regulations determine their integration in highly complex settings. A systematic review was conducted to collect, evaluate, and synthesize recent evidence from various academic databases, following a structured methodological approach that enabled a comparative examination of existing regulations and their operational effects. The results show that regulatory clarity, the existence of interoperability standards, and institutional support are decisive factors that promote technological adoption, whereas regulatory fragmentation, legal uncertainty, and the absence of specific guidelines remain significant barriers. Overall, this study highlights the need for more coherent and adaptive regulatory frameworks that allow for the safe and sustainable integration of digital solutions into emergency surgical care, thereby strengthening the response capacity of the public health system
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