Parma, 16 September 2026 – The University of Parma has confirmed its position among the world’s leading research centres for artificial intelligence applied to perioperative risk prediction.
A recent bibliometric analysis published in the scientific journal Healthcare examined 152 studies produced between 2018 and 2026. With 11 publications, the University of Parma ranks fourth worldwide, jointly with Heidelberg University. Parma and Heidelberg share first place in Europe.
The number of publications produced by the University of Parma played a key role in Italy’s third-place position among the most productive countries.
The team led by Elena Giovanna Bignami, Professor of Anaesthesiology and Director of the Postgraduate School of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, has thus confirmed its place among the world’s leading research groups, following the excellent results achieved in 2024 and 2025.
The study highlights the rapid growth of a field that is set to influence the safety and personalisation of care: from the early identification of patients at risk and the prediction of postoperative complications to clinical decision support. Among the most promising areas are predictive artificial intelligence combined with explainable algorithms, the integration of different types of clinical data, and the development of tools capable of responsibly supporting healthcare professionals.
This result recognises the central role of the University of Parma’s research in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, with particular reference to Elena Giovanna Bignami and Valentina Bellini, and to their contribution to the development of rigorous and transparent technological innovation focused on delivering tangible benefits to patients.
