Exploration of Digital Health Technologies (EDHT, eISSN: 2996-9409) is a strictly peer-reviewed, open-access journal launched in December 2023. It advocates for the transformation of traditional healthcare delivery through the integration of digital technologies, aiming to enhance the accessibility, efficiency, and personalization of health services. The journal's scope encompasses both digital health applications in clinical and public health settings, as well as digital methodologies within the broader field of biomedical research.

As a young journal, EDHT is dedicated to capturing cutting-edge developments, curating high-quality academic resources, and delivering rigorous, impartial scientific content to its readers. Over the past year, the journal has achieved significant progress in strengthening its manuscript quality control, expanding its international reach, and notably, in enhancing its academic influence—as evidenced by a milestone increase in citations and its recent indexing in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). This report summarizes the key achievements of 2025 and outlines our strategic outlook for the year ahead.

Key Achievements in 2025

Submissions and Publications

Submissions

In 2025, EDHT achieved a significant milestone by receiving 92 manuscript submissions, marking a substantial 43.8% increase from the 64 submissions in 2024. This robust growth is a clear indicator of the journal's rapidly expanding reputation and its growing appeal within the global digital health research community—a testament to the strategic guidance of Editor-in-Chief Prof. Atanas Atanasov and the diligent execution by the entire Editorial Team.

An analysis of the submission portfolio reveals a strong and desirable structure: Original Articles constituted 45 submissions (48.91%), solidifying their position as the cornerstone of the journal's content, while Review articles accounted for 20 submissions (21.74%). The high volume and proportion of these rigorous article types demonstrate EDHT's success in establishing itself as a trusted venue for substantive research. This trend not only fosters vital scholarly exchange but also directly contributes to elevating the journal's overall academic standing. The consistent influx of such high-caliber work ensures that EDHT continues to publish content with significant scientific impact and practical relevance, laying a solid foundation for its future development and indexing aspirations.

Figure 1. Annual Submission Volume                                   Figure 2. Types of Submissions in 2025

Publications

In 2025, EDHT successfully published a total of 40 articles, demonstrating a measured and quality-focused expansion from the previous year. The publication portfolio was strategically composed, with Original Articles forming the core at 20 articles (50%), supported by 5 Review articles (12.5%). This deliberate structure underscores the journal's commitment to prioritizing primary research findings while also providing authoritative syntheses of evolving fields.

The increase in publication volume signifies more than just quantitative growth; it reflects EDHT's enhanced capacity to navigate the complete publishing pipeline—from rigorous peer review to timely dissemination—and its strengthened appeal to authors conducting substantive work. As the journal concludes its first full operational year, this output solidifies its foundational phase. EDHT has consistently upheld its mission to filter and present high-quality academic content, thereby aggregating valuable intellectual resources for the community. This year's achievements mark a decisive step toward its strategic objective of becoming a recognized and relied-upon platform that delivers scientifically rigorous and contextually relevant insights to researchers, clinicians, and policymakers in digital health.

Figure 3. Types of Publications in 2025

Average Impact of Authors

In 2025, the average H-index of corresponding authors published in EDHT reached 20.13, while that of first authors stood at 20.14, reflecting the journal's success in engaging established and productive scholars. The international breadth of our authors is equally noteworthy: the 40 published articles feature corresponding authors from 27 different countries and regions. We are honored that EDHT has attracted such a diverse group of accomplished researchers to contribute their work.

This geographic diversity underscores the journal's growing global reach and its role as an increasingly international platform. It indicates that the research we publish is gaining attention and recognition across borders. Moving forward, EDHT remains committed to fostering global academic exchange. We will continue to bridge regions and disciplines, curate leading scientific advances worldwide, and actively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds. Our goal is to consistently offer our readers a rich variety of academic perspectives and cutting-edge knowledge from the global scientific community.

Figure 4. Country Distribution of Publications in 2025

Publicity and Citation

The average number of views per published article increased to 3,217 in 2025 (up from 2,940.03 in 2024), reflecting a continued expansion in the visibility and readership engagement with the journal's content. This year also saw a leap forward in citation metrics: the total number of citations accumulated reached 170, with 117 new citations added in 2025—more than double the 50 citations added in the previous year. Remarkably, 54.67% of all articles published in the journal to date (75 articles in total) have been cited, with an average of 2.27 citations per article. These figures signify that research published in EDHT is gaining sustained attention and is being actively utilized within the scholarly community. Furthermore, 27.5% of articles published in 2025 (11 out of 40) have already received citations, demonstrating strong early impact momentum. The author self-citation rate remains at a sound and reasonable level of 24.12%. Together, these robust citation outcomes provide compelling evidence of the journal’s growing academic influence and the tangible reach of its published work.

Table 1. Top 3 Most Viewed Articles Published in 2025

Manuscript Processing

Rejection Rate

In 2025, the manuscript rejection rate at EDHT increased to 53.62%, up from 44.19% in the previous year. This rise reflects the journal's ongoing commitment to selective publishing and its heightened focus on accepting only the most rigorous and impactful research. By maintaining a stringent review process, EDHT continues to uphold its high academic standards and further enhance the overall quality and reputation of its published content.

Manuscript Processing Time

The growth in manuscript submissions has been accompanied by a consistent focus on maintaining efficient editorial workflows. Key metrics for 2025 indicate an average Submission to First Decision time of 6 days, reflecting an efficient initial screening process. The subsequent First Decision to Acceptance averaged 97 days, a period that encompasses rigorous peer review, author revisions, and editorial evaluation to ensure scholarly rigor. Finally, the Acceptance to Publication stage averaged 39 days, dedicated to careful production and final quality checks.

These timelines demonstrate EDHT’s commitment to balancing rigorous quality control with responsible time-to-publication. While the current efficiency in initial screening and final production is commendable, we recognize that the peer-review and revision phase presents an opportunity for further optimization. Moving forward, we will focus on streamlining internal processes and enhancing reviewer engagement, with the goal of reducing overall decision times without compromising the journal's high standards of academic integrity and article quality.

Reviewers

In 2025, 214 reviewers from 40 different countries and regions participated in EDHT's peer-review process. This extensive and diverse pool of reviewers ensures the international perspective and fairness of our editorial evaluations. Their rich expertise not only upholds the quality of published work but also provides valuable insights into global research trends. Furthermore, engaging with this international review network enhances the scholarly community's understanding of academic publishing and evaluation standards. The growing geographical reach of our reviewers reflects the increasing international visibility and influence of EDHT, which in turn supports our mission to publish high-quality research on globally relevant topics.

Figure 5. Country Distribution of Reviewers

Editorial Board

There are currently 56 editorial board members, 22 Associate Editors and 34 Editorial Board Members, with an average H-index of 49.95. This data reflects the fact that EDHT's editorial board team is tending to become more global and authoritative. In 2025, 17 members (30.36%) contributed by submitting manuscripts, editing special issues, or reviewing manuscripts. This is critical to the operation and growth of the journal.

Figure 6. Country Distribution of EDHT Editorial Board

Special Issues

EDHT currently maintains an active portfolio of 10 special issues, each dedicated to exploring pivotal and emerging topics within the digital health landscape. These curated collections address a diverse range of cutting-edge themes, such as the application of social media analytics in biomedical research, the development of digital health technologies for the early detection of oral cancer, advances in biosensors for monitoring bioactive molecules, and the integration of wearable technology with machine learning in healthcare delivery. By bringing together focused research on these innovative subjects, EDHT's special issues not only highlight current investigative frontiers but also actively shape the discourse around the future of digital health. They provide a dedicated platform for disseminating significant advances and fostering scholarly dialogue aimed at translating technological innovation into tangible clinical and public health impact.

Table 2. Hot Special Issues in 2025

More details can be found at: https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/edht/Special_Issues.

Social Media & Promotion

In 2025, EDHT’s social media channels maintained high activity and visibility, effectively supporting the journal’s outreach and engagement goals. On LinkedIn, the official EDHT journal page attracted 3,056 followers, while the supporting personal network account grew to 2,837 connections. On X (formerly Twitter), the journal gained 473 followers, and on Bluesky, it reached 829 followers. The content published across these platforms consistently achieved strong performance metrics, with an average of over 1,800 views per post, 10+ likes, and 8+ shares/reposts, reflecting sustained reader interest and active community interaction.

Figure 7. LinkedIn Social Media Presence

Figure 8. Twitter's trending posts in 2025

Database indexing

EDHT is indexed in a range of trusted academic databases, including Google Scholar, Dimensions and Portico, which collectively support broad discoverability and long-term preservation of its content. We are pleased to announce that in 2025, EDHT was successfully accepted for indexing in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), a significant milestone that affirms the journal’s adherence to high standards of open access publishing. Looking ahead, we remain committed to further elevating EDHT’s visibility and credibility by pursuing inclusion in additional prominent databases such as Scopus and Web of Science (WOS).

Goals and Expectation

In 2025, EDHT achieved comprehensive and solid progress across multiple dimensions, including manuscript volume, quality control, publishing capacity, author caliber, and core impact metrics—most notably citation performance. The concurrent rise in submission numbers and the rejection rate signifies a “dual enhancement” of the journal’s academic threshold and its attractiveness to authors. Breakthrough improvements in key impact indicators—such as the notable increase in the average H-index of corresponding and first authors, the substantial growth in total citations, and the strong article-level citation rate—stand out as the most remarkable highlights of the year. These advances demonstrate that the journal has steadily entered a virtuous developmental phase in which published research is not only being read but also actively used and cited by the academic community.

Currently, EDHT maintains stable submission and publication volumes, a well-balanced distribution of article types, and promising view and download metrics for published content—all reflecting a consistent and sustainable publishing rhythm.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will continue to safeguard the overall quality of the journal while exploring more effective strategies to attract groundbreaking, high-quality submissions. We aim to further elevate the academic standard of published articles and enhance the H-index profiles of corresponding and first authors. To sustain the upward trajectory across all operational fronts, we will intensify promotional efforts to increase citations and visibility. One of our key targets is to raise the average citation to 2.5. Through these initiatives, we strive to expand the journal's recognition and influence, achieve broader appeal within the scholarly community, and prepare for inclusion in additional authoritative academic databases.

Best Regards,

EDHT Editorial Office

Contact us: edhtjournal@explorationpub.com

EDHT website: https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/edht

Submission Link: https://edht.aressystem.com/

Annual Report 2025 of Exploration of Digital Health Technologies.pdf