Call for papers - Special issue on Sustainability in Healthcare - Medical Physics Contribution!

Publication Date: Aug 11th, 2026 22:00, Category: EFOMP Announcements

Special issue on Sustainability in Healthcare - Medical Physics Contribution

Submission deadline: 15 December 2026

The issue will explore how healthcare systems can transform through “sustainable by design” approaches measuring impact across the care value chain.

Guest editors:

Eva Bezak
Adelaide University, Adelaide, Australia
International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP)

Efi Koutsouveli
HYGEIA Hospital, Athens, Greece
European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (EFOMP)

Magdalena Stoeva
Medical University of Plovdiv, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP)

Special issue information:

Physica Medica (European Journal of Medical Physics) will publish a Focus Issue on Sustainability in Medical Physics, coordinated in collaboration with the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) and the European Federation of Organisations for Medical Physics (EFOMP). The issue will include invited papers originating from the International Medical Physics Week on 'Sustainability in Healthcare: The Medical Physics Contribution', as well as contributions related to the upcoming European Congress of Medical Physics (ECMP) dedicated to sustainability.

The topic of this special issue recognizes the urgent need to embed environmental, economic, and social sustainability into healthcare systems and highlights the role that medical physicists play in advancing sustainable practices across the globe. As healthcare systems globally face increasing pressures, from climate change to rising costs and disparities in access, our profession is uniquely positioned to contribute solutions that are efficient, resilient, and sustainable. Whether by reducing energy consumption in imaging and therapy, minimizing waste in clinical workflows, or deploying innovative models in resource-limited settings, the work we do directly improves patient outcomes and environmental stewardship.
“Sustainability in Healthcare: The Medical Physics Contribution”, recognizes the urgent need to embed environmental, economic, and social sustainability into healthcare systems and highlights the role that medical physicists play in advancing sustainable practices across the globe.

As healthcare systems globally face increasing pressures, from climate change to rising costs and disparities in access, our profession is uniquely positioned to contribute solutions that are efficient, resilient, and sustainable. Whether by reducing energy consumption in imaging and therapy, minimizing waste in clinical workflows, or deploying innovative models in resource-limited settings, the work we do directly improves patient outcomes and environmental stewardship.

The issue will explore how healthcare systems can transform through “sustainable by design” approaches—measuring impact across the care value chain. The issue will highlight practical initiatives within radiotherapy and medical imaging, including carbon footprint reduction and the establishment of sustainability groups within professional practice.

Articles will discuss will discuss how medical physicists can lead environmentally sustainable imaging and radiotherapy practices, by optimizing imaging protocols, enhancing energy efficiency, minimizing waste, and informing decisions that protect both patients and planetary health.

Discussions will include how physics-based methodologies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and capacity building contribute to resilient systems that prioritize patient safety, efficiency, and equitable access.
Papers will emphasize cost-effective, scalable quality assurance that supports consistent imaging quality—especially in regions with limited expert resources—strengthening sustainability through shared tools and collaboration.

Inputs from LMICs will discuss how medical physicists in low- and middle-income countries address sustainability challenges that extend beyond environmental concerns to include issues such as fragile infrastructure, limited resources, professional recognition, brain drain, and equitable access to life-saving technologies.

Manuscript submission information:

    Please submit your manuscript via https://www.editorialmanager.com/ejmp/default2.aspx
    To ensure your work will be correctly identified as special issue article, please select “VSI: Sustainability” when reaching the "Article Type" step

Keywords:

sustainability, medical equipment, optimisation, resource limited setting, energy saving, carbon footprint