Scientific and technological advancements are revolutionizing the understanding and management of infectious diseases, better known as “Disease X,” by enhancing the precision and speed of outbreak control. The latest technologies are transitioning infection control techniques from reactive strategies to more proactive, smart, and efficient ones.
The focus of research has been on the intelligent transformation of mobile hospitals to optimize their responses to health emergencies and fortify their preventive measures against unknown infectious diseases. These advancements aim to curtail the spread of epidemics, safeguard public health, and most importantly, highlight the significance of mobile hospitals in responding to public health crises.
Five key considerations under scrutiny are the role and importance, traits, challenges, necessity, practicality, and influencing constituents of mobile hospitals. Our study dove into these considerations through semi-structured interviews with experts in the field, using a framework analysis to collate and synthesize their perspectives.
Conventional hospitals often grapple with design and management deficiencies, leading to challenges in resource allocation and hindered operational efficiency during sudden health crises. In contrast, mobile hospitals offer a rapid-response solution, particularly during bed shortages. They are quick to assemble in critically affected areas and their design allows adaptability to various environments and service demands.
As evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when traditional hospital infrastructure was insufficient, mobile hospitals effectively stepped in to allow more efficient patient management and resource allocation. This intelligent upgrade marries well with current public health needs, helping to build a robust biosafety system.
Our data also shed light on the significant role technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), biomanufacturing, microfluidics, and BioMEMS play in improving the accuracy and efficiency of epidemic control. Additionally, our findings raised the need to address discrepancies in communication protocols and lack of training in mobile hospital staff to increase the system’s effectiveness. The research underscores the need for improvements in these areas, helping mobile hospitals transition from mere “mobile emergency units” to “omni-scenario intelligent medical platforms”.
Analysis from our interviews highlights the role, significance, characteristics, challenges, necessity, feasibility, and influencing factors of smart mobile hospitals in mitigating the spreading of epidemics. Mobile hospitals are appreciated for their rapid response capability, comprehensive treatment services, flexible transportation mechanisms, and effective outbreak control.
However, we also identified challenges, including the need for better infection control, flexibility in site allocation, improved intelligence, and continuous manpower and supply chain capacity. Advancements such as the Internet of Things (IoT) hold significant potential in addressing some of these challenges. Still, it’s vital these advancements are balanced with other factors such as system compatibility, portability, and resource utilization.
In conclusion, the intelligent transformation of mobile hospitals is an essential prerogative not only for epidemic control but also for the broader sustainability of public health responses.
Source: https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-025-10925-3