Conflict of Interest Policy

Digital Health & Telemonitoring Advances (DHTA) is committed to maintaining transparency, objectivity, and integrity throughout the research and publication process. The journal recognizes that conflicts of interest may arise when personal, professional, institutional, or financial relationships could influence, or appear to influence, the research, peer review, editorial decisions, or interpretation of published work.

To maintain trust among authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, the journal requires appropriate disclosure and responsible management of potential conflicts of interest.

1. Purpose of the Policy

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all individuals involved in the publication process disclose relevant relationships or circumstances that may affect impartiality.

Transparent conflict-of-interest disclosure supports:

  • Fair editorial decision-making.

  • Independent peer review.

  • Responsible research reporting.

  • Reader confidence in published research.

2. Author Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Authors submitting manuscripts to Digital Health & Telemonitoring Advances must disclose any relationships or circumstances that could influence the research or its interpretation.

Potential conflicts may include:

  • Financial relationships with organizations or companies.

  • Research funding from external sponsors.

  • Employment, consultancy, or advisory roles.

  • Ownership interests, patents, or commercial relationships.

  • Institutional or professional relationships that may influence the research.

Authors should provide a clear Conflict of Interest Statement within their manuscript.

If no conflict exists, authors should explicitly state that there are no competing interests to declare.

3. Reviewer Conflict of Interest

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts objectively and independently.

Reviewers should decline a review assignment if they have any conflict that may affect their judgment, including:

  • Personal relationships with authors.

  • Direct professional competition.

  • Previous involvement with the submitted research.

  • Financial or institutional interests related to the manuscript.

Reviewers must inform the editorial team of any potential conflict before accepting or continuing a review assignment.

4. Editorial Conflict of Interest

Editors of Digital Health & Telemonitoring Advances must maintain independence and avoid situations where personal or professional interests may affect editorial decisions.

Editors should not manage manuscripts when they have:

  • Personal relationships with authors.

  • Institutional conflicts.

  • Financial interests connected to the research.

  • Any circumstance that may compromise impartial decision-making.

In such situations, another qualified editor may be assigned to handle the manuscript.

5. Funding and Sponsor Relationships

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support related to their research.

Funding disclosure should include:

  • Name of funding organization.

  • Grant or project information where applicable.

  • Role of the sponsor in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or publication decisions.

The existence of funding does not influence editorial evaluation, peer review outcomes, or publication decisions.

6. Digital Health and Technology-Specific Conflicts

Because digital health research often involves healthcare technologies, software platforms, medical devices, artificial intelligence systems, and commercial health solutions, authors should provide transparent disclosure of relevant relationships.

Examples include:

  • Employment or consultancy with technology companies.

  • Ownership of digital health products or patents.

  • Financial relationships with device manufacturers.

  • Involvement in development of commercial healthcare systems.

Such disclosures help readers evaluate research findings with appropriate context.

7. Management of Undisclosed Conflicts

If a previously undisclosed conflict of interest is identified after publication, the journal may take appropriate action, including:

  • Requesting clarification from authors.

  • Publishing a correction or disclosure statement.

  • Conducting further investigation where necessary.

  • Taking additional editorial action depending on the circumstances.

The journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and transparency of the published record.

8. Confidentiality and Ethical Responsibility

Conflict-of-interest information is handled responsibly and used only for appropriate editorial and publication-related purposes.

All authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to provide accurate and complete disclosures to support ethical scholarly communication.

9. Commitment to Transparency

Digital Health & Telemonitoring Advances considers conflict-of-interest disclosure an essential component of responsible publishing. Through transparent identification and management of potential conflicts, the journal promotes fairness, credibility, and confidence in digital health research communication.