Research on Digital Technology Use in Cardiology: Bibliometric Analysis

Andy Wai Kan Yeung, Stefan Tino Kulnik, Emil D Parvanov, Anna Fassl, Fabian Eibensteiner, Sabine Völkl-Kernstock, Maria Kletecka-Pulker, Rik Crutzen, Johanna Gutenberg, Isabel Höppchen, Josef Niebauer, Jan David Smeddinck, Harald Willschke, Atanas G Atanasov*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Digital technology uses in cardiology have become a popular research focus in recent years. However, there has been no published bibliometric report that analyzed the corresponding academic literature in order to derive key publishing trends and characteristics of this scientific area.

OBJECTIVE: We used a bibliometric approach to identify and analyze the academic literature on digital technology uses in cardiology, and to unveil popular research topics, key authors, institutions, countries, and journals. We further captured the cardiovascular conditions and diagnostic tools most commonly investigated within this field.

METHODS: The Web of Science electronic database was queried to identify relevant papers on digital technology uses in cardiology. Publication and citation data were acquired directly from the database. Complete bibliographic data were exported to VOSviewer, a dedicated bibliometric software package, and related to the semantic content of titles, abstracts, and keywords. A term map was constructed for findings visualization.

RESULTS: The analysis was based on data from 12,529 papers. Of the top 5 most productive institutions, 4 were based in the United States. The United States was the most productive country (4224/12,529, 33.7%), followed by United Kingdom (1136/12,529, 9.1%), Germany (1067/12,529, 8.5%), China (682/12,529, 5.4%), and Italy (622/12,529, 5.0%). Cardiovascular diseases that had been frequently investigated included hypertension (152/12,529, 1.2%), atrial fibrillation (122/12,529, 1.0%), atherosclerosis (116/12,529, 0.9%), heart failure (106/12,529, 0.8%), and arterial stiffness (80/12,529, 0.6%). Recurring modalities were electrocardiography (170/12,529, 1.4%), angiography (127/12,529, 1.0%), echocardiography (127/12,529, 1.0%), digital subtraction angiography (111/12,529, 0.9%), and photoplethysmography (80/12,529, 0.6%). For a literature subset on smartphone apps and wearable devices, the Journal of Medical Internet Research (20/632, 3.2%) and other JMIR portfolio journals (51/632, 8.0%) were the major publishing venues.

CONCLUSIONS: Digital technology uses in cardiology target physicians, patients, and the general public. Their functions range from assisting diagnosis, recording cardiovascular parameters, and patient education, to teaching laypersons about cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This field already has had a great impact in health care, and we anticipate continued growth.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere36086
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Medical Internet Research
Volume24
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 May 2022

Keywords

  • Bibliometrics
  • Biomedical Research
  • Cardiology
  • Digital Technology
  • Humans
  • Mobile Applications
  • United States
  • BIG-DATA
  • mHealth
  • MEDICINE
  • electrocardiography
  • wearable device
  • atrial fibrillation
  • cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  • INTERVENTIONS
  • photoplethysmography
  • LEGAL
  • QUANTIFIED SELF
  • cardiovascular
  • 3-DIMENSIONAL DOPPLER-ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY
  • heart
  • cardiology
  • STROKE VOLUME
  • digital health
  • COMPUTER
  • HEALTH-CARE
  • hypertension
  • health application
  • cardiac
  • HISTORY

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