IISE Transactions on Healthcare Systems Engineering

Industrial and Systems Engineering for Human-Centered Healthcare Transformation in the Age of AI

Healthcare is at a pivotal moment of transformation. The convergence of industrial and systems engineering (ISE) with artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs), and emerging technologies is reshaping how care is delivered, managed, and experienced. This special issue seeks to capture the energy and innovation of the ISE community as it leads the way in designing healthcare systems that are not only efficient and resilient, but also deeply human-centered.

We invite contributions that demonstrate how ISE principles — optimization, operations research, data analytics, ergonomics, and systems integration — can be harnessed to translate AI breakthroughs into real-world healthcare impact. Submissions should highlight how engineering rigor and human factors can be combined to improve patient safety, quality of care, equity, and workforce sustainability.

This special issue will serve as a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration, showcasing work that bridges engineering, medicine, computer science, and public health. We particularly encourage papers that:

• Present novel AI-driven methodologies for healthcare decision-making, diagnostics, and operations.
• Explore human-centered design approaches that ensure usability, trust, and safety in AI-enabled systems.
• Demonstrate translational case studies where ISE methods have been successfully deployed in clinical or public health settings.
• Address grand challenges such as health equity, pandemic preparedness, and sustainable healthcare delivery.

Topics of Interest

• AI and LLMs for healthcare decision-making and clinical support
• Human-centered design of digital health systems
• Ergonomics and usability in AI-enabled healthcare environments
• Healthcare operations management and process improvement
• Data analytics, health informatics, and disease modeling
• Patient safety, quality improvement, and risk management
• Health logistics and supply chain optimization
• Public health systems engineering and policy modeling
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion in AI-driven healthcare systems
• Translational case studies of ISE methods applied to healthcare transformation

Guest Editors

• Qingpeng Zhang, University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China — [email protected]
• Feifan Wang, Tsinghua University, China — [email protected]
• Shuai Huang, University of Washington, USA — [email protected]
• Denny Yu, Purdue University, USA — [email protected]
• Ying Liao, Wuhan University, China — [email protected]

Timeline

• Open for Submission: Dec 15, 2025
• Submission Deadline: Aug 25, 2026
• Editorial assessment for desk decision: September 1, 2026

• Completion of 1st Round Review: approximately October 30, 2026
• Completion of 2nd Round Review: approximately January 31, 2026
• Final Decision: approximately Spring 2027
• Expected Publication: Spring 2027

• Note: extension may be granted case by case for conference submissions.