From Patterns to Policy: A Scoping Review Based on Bibliometric Analysis (ScoRBA) of Intelligent and Secure Smart Hospital Ecosystems

TL;DR

This paper uses bibliometric analysis to map research trends, identify gaps, and suggest policy directions for intelligent and secure smart hospital ecosystems based on 891 articles.

Contribution

It introduces ScoRBA, a comprehensive bibliometric framework, to analyze research patterns and derive policy implications for smart hospital ecosystems.

Findings

Identified three key research clusters: AI healthcare, privacy ecosystems, and cloud infrastructures.

Highlighted gaps in interoperability, governance, and real-world implementation.

Suggested policy focus on governance, infrastructure, and secure data ecosystems.

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of Intelligent and Secure Smart Hospital Ecosystems using a Scoping Review with Bibliometric Analysis (ScoRBA) to map research patterns, identify gaps, and derive policy implications. Analyzing 891 journal articles from Scopus (2006-2025) through co-occurrence analysis, network visualization, overlay analysis, and the Enhanced Strategic Diagram (ESD), the study applies the PAGER framework to link Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Research directions, and Evidence-based policy implications. Findings reveal three interrelated clusters: AI-driven intelligent healthcare systems, decentralized privacy-preserving digital health ecosystems, and scalable cloud-edge infrastructures, showing a convergence toward integrated ecosystem architectures where intelligence, trust, and infrastructure reinforce each other. Despite progress in AI, blockchain, and cloud computing, gaps remain in interoperability, real-world implementation, governance, and cross-layer integration. Emerging themes such as explainable AI, federated learning, and privacy mechanisms highlight areas needing further research. Policy-relevant recommendations focus on coordinated governance, scalable infrastructure, and secure data ecosystems, particularly for developing country contexts. The study bridges bibliometric evidence with actionable policies, supporting informed decision-making in smart hospital development.