Call for papers - Ensuring continuity of care in LMICs

Guest Editors

David B. Duong, MD, MPH, Harvard University, USA
Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin, MD, MHA, Harvard University, USA
Bach Tran, PhD, HDR, Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 23 July 2025

BMC Global and Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on ensuring continuity of care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In the realm of global health, one of the persistent challenges facing LMICs is ensuring the uninterrupted provision of healthcare services. The concept of continuity of care is paramount, aiming to guarantee that individuals receive seamless and coordinated healthcare across different levels of the healthcare system and over time.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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David B. Duong, MD, MPH, Harvard University, USA

Dr. David Duong promotes high-quality primary care systems in Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and three rural US states (Arkansas, West Virginia, and Oklahoma). He also provides teaching, mentorship, and career development support to students, residents, junior faculty, and staff in these areas. He has led many research studies and has published widely on the strengthening of the healthcare system.

Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin, MD, MHA, Harvard University, USA

Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin is the Executive Director of the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program as of March 2024. Dr. Lia served as the Minister of Health of Ethiopia from March 2020 to February 2024 after serving as State Minister of Health from November 2018. As a Minister, she spearheaded the COVID response and response to different emergencies. She is passionate about strengthening and reforming health systems. She has received several recognitions for her accomplishments in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, in advocacy for gender equity, and access to quality health services and training.

Bach Tran, PhD, HDR, Hanoi Medical University, Vietnam

Dr. Tran is a Professor and Vice Head of the Health Economics Department at Hanoi Medical University and an Adjunct Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. His research primarily focuses on applying decision-analytic modeling to guide the development and evaluation of health technologies and policies. Dr. Tran has extensive experience consulting for United Nations agencies, international organizations, and governments on global health and development issues in Asia and the Pacific.

About the Collection

BMC Global and Public Health is calling for submissions to our Collection on ensuring continuity of care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In the realm of global health, one of the persistent challenges facing LMICs is ensuring the delivery of integrated, coordinated, and continuous care across healthcare services. The concept of seamless care is paramount, aiming to guarantee that individuals receive integrated and coordinated healthcare across different levels of the healthcare system and over time. This Collection seeks to shed light on innovative strategies, research findings, and practical solutions in LMICs.

We invite contributions that explore various dimensions of integrated, coordinated and continuous care of care in LMICs, including but not limited to:

· Health System Strengthening: Investigations into approaches for strengthening health systems in LMICs to support seamless access to healthcare services. This may include efforts to improve infrastructure, enhance workforce capacity, and optimize service delivery models.

· Integrated Care Models: Exploration of integrated care approaches that facilitate collaboration among diverse healthcare providers, services, and institutions. These models aim to improve care coordination, referrals, and counter-referrals, reduce fragmentation, and enhance the patient experience.

· Digital Health Solutions: Assessments of the role of digital health technologies in enhancing continuity of care in LMICs. This may include the use of electronic health records, telemedicine, mobile health applications, AI, and other innovative digital tools to overcome barriers to access and improve healthcare delivery.

· Community-Based Care: Studies on community-based healthcare initiatives that empower communities to take ownership of their health and well-being. These initiatives often play a crucial role in ensuring ongoing access to essential healthcare services, particularly in remote or underserved areas.

· Policy and Governance: Examination of policy and governance frameworks aimed at promoting continuity of care in LMICs. This may include analyses of healthcare financing mechanisms, regulatory frameworks, and policy interventions designed to improve healthcare access and quality.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by advancing our understanding of continuity of care and contributing to efforts to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare services for all populations, regardless of geographical location or socioeconomic status.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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To submit your manuscript, please use the BMC Global and Public Health online submission system SNAPP and indicate in your cover letter that you would like the article to be considered for the 'Ensuring continuity of care in LMICs' Collection. If you would like to enquire about the suitability of a manuscript for consideration, please email bmcglobalpublichealth@biomedcentral.com.

This collection of articles has not been sponsored, and articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published. The Guest Editors declare that they have no competing interests. The Guest Editors serve an advisory role to guide the scope of the collection and commissioned content; final editorial decisions lie with the Chief Editor.