Mapping the Discourse of Sustainability in Medicine: A Bibliometric and Interdisciplinary Analysis (2015–2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52340/healthecosoc.2026.10.01.3Keywords:
VOSviewer, Sustainable development, Sustainability, Planetary health, Medical discourse, Implementation science, Health systems, Bibliometric analysisAbstract
Background: In recent years, the concept of sustainability has become central to global health discourse, yet its meaning within medical academia remains fragmented and variably defined. While sustainability originated as an ecological and economic principle, its integration into medicine reflects a shift from healing individual patients to maintaining the resilience of health systems, communities, and ecosystems. Objectives: This study investigates how sustainability is conceptualised and articulated in medical academic literature, identifying its main thematic domains, disciplinary intersections, and conceptual gaps. Methods: A bibliometric and semantic analysis was conducted on 7,161 PubMed-indexed articles published between 2015 and 2025 containing the terms “sustainability” or “sustainable” in titles or abstracts. Using VOSviewer, 16,348 unique terms were mapped to identify co-occurrence clusters and emerging semantic trends. Results: Five major clusters were identified: (1) health policy and governance; (2) implementation and organisational innovation; (3) social and demographic determinants; (4) ecological and planetary sustainability; and (5) professional and behavioural sustainability. The results reveal a transition from a narrow economic understanding of sustainability toward an integrative paradigm connecting health equity, environmental responsibility, and institutional resilience. Conclusions: Medicine redefines sustainability as an operational and ethical framework linking clinical effectiveness, social justice, and ecological balance. This study highlights conceptual fragmentation and underexplored dimensions—especially ecological and professional sustainability—offering a foundation for interdisciplinary dialogue and evidence-informed policy design.
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