Lancet Digital Health Submission Requirements
Validate your digital health, AI, or machine-learning manuscript against Lancet Digital Health's requirements, a fully open-access Lancet journal.
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What Lancet Digital Health requires
Lancet Digital Health is a fully open-access (gold OA, article processing charge) specialty journal in the Lancet family, focused on digital health, data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in medicine. It uses the standard Lancet structured abstract and Research in Context panel, but the reporting guidelines are AI-specific: TRIPOD+AI for prediction models, CONSORT-AI for AI trials, SPIRIT-AI for AI trial protocols, and STARD-AI for AI diagnostic-accuracy studies. The journal expects strong code and data availability, and clear reporting of model type, training/validation data, and performance. CheckMyManuscript flags the presence and structure of these elements before submission.
Lancet Digital Health specifics, and what CMM checks
Lancet-family commons apply (see the Lancet hub). The rows below are digital-health/AI-specific.
Open-access (APC) model
✓ CMM checks thisFully open access: an article processing charge applies and a CC licence is selected at submission.
Differs from hybrid Lancet specialty journals (Oncology, Neurology).
Source: thelancet.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
AI reporting guideline
✓ CMM checks thisTRIPOD+AI (prediction models), CONSORT-AI (AI trials), SPIRIT-AI (AI protocols), or STARD-AI (AI diagnostics).
Flag: ML prediction model with no TRIPOD+AI reporting.
Source: equator-network.org · verified Jun 16, 2026
Code & data availability
✓ CMM checks thisCode availability statement and data availability with repository links; model and training data described.
Flag: 'code available on request' with no repository.
Source: thelancet.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
Model performance reporting
✓ CMM checks thisDiscrimination and calibration reported; external validation where claimed.
Source: thelancet.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
Clinical usefulness of the model
Editorial, not auto-checkableWhether the model is clinically useful and appropriately validated.
Editorial judgement, not auto-checkable.
Source: thelancet.com · verified Jun 16, 2026
Lancet Digital Health shares the Lancet-family submission template but is fully open access and AI-focused; the items below highlight its differences. CheckMyManuscript checks presence and structure, not methodological quality. Verify the live author guidelines before submitting, last checked 16 June 2026.
Lancet Digital Health is the Lancet family's fully open-access journal for digital health, data science, and AI in medicine. It applies the shared Lancet submission template, but with AI-specific reporting guidelines (TRIPOD+AI, CONSORT-AI, SPIRIT-AI, STARD-AI) and strong expectations around code and data availability. CheckMyManuscript screens your manuscript for the presence and structure of these elements before submission.
Also see: Lancet family hub | TRIPOD checklist checker | STARD checklist checker
What gets returned before review at Lancet Digital Health
Common reasons digital-health and AI manuscripts are returned at the editorial screen, each maps to a structural signal CMM can flag.
1.
AI reporting guideline missing
A machine-learning model reported without TRIPOD+AI, CONSORT-AI, or STARD-AI.
CMM checks for: AI reporting guideline
2.
No code availability
'Code available on request' with no repository link.
CMM checks for: Code availability
3.
Performance reported one-sided
Discrimination reported without calibration (or vice versa).
CMM checks for: Calibration & discrimination
4.
Open-access licence not selected
No Creative Commons licence chosen for this gold-OA journal.
CMM checks for: OA licence
Lancet Digital Health checks
Open-access licence
Flags a missing CC-licence selection for this gold-OA journal.
AI reporting guideline
Flags AI/ML studies with no TRIPOD+AI / CONSORT-AI / STARD-AI reporting.
Code availability
Flags a missing code-availability statement or repository.
Model performance
Flags model performance reported without calibration or discrimination.
Lancet abstract structure
Flags abstracts not in the five-part Lancet form.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
OA licence selected
CC licence chosen for open access.
AI reporting guideline
TRIPOD+AI / CONSORT-AI / STARD-AI as applicable.
Code availability
Code-availability statement with repository.
Model performance
Calibration and discrimination reported.
Lancet structured abstract
Five-part Lancet abstract present.
The practical edge your peers already use
Across disciplines and career stages, researchers reduce bottlenecks and submit with confidence: clearer drafts, easier guideline compliance, and less back and forth with co‑authors and reviewers.
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Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Lancet Digital Health is fully open access (gold OA): an article processing charge applies and you select a Creative Commons licence at submission. This differs from hybrid Lancet specialty journals such as Lancet Oncology and Lancet Neurology.
Use the AI-specific extension that matches your design: TRIPOD+AI for prediction models, CONSORT-AI for AI randomised trials, SPIRIT-AI for AI trial protocols, and STARD-AI for AI diagnostic-accuracy studies. Lancet Digital Health expects the matching reporting.
No. CheckMyManuscript checks the presence and structure of required elements such as AI reporting guidelines, code availability, and model-performance reporting. It does not judge whether the model is clinically useful or methodologically sound, and it does not replace peer review.