JMIR Formative Research

Since Singapore’s first migration to Epic in 2022, we have been conducting an advanced Epic personalisation course twice a year for healthcare professionals with at least 3 months of experience using Epic. Electronic Medical Records education is an under-recognised pillar in reducing Health Information Technology-related stress and burnout.

Anxiety disorders affect approximately 27% of the global population, posing a major mental health challenge. Limited access to treatment due to resource constraints highlights the need for scalable solutions. Web-based self-help programs provide low-threshold access to evidence-based strategies. When guided by peers, these programs enhance engagement and acceptability by merging autonomy with support. Peer-guided self-help apps offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional care, reaching those who might otherwise remain untreated.

The development of confident and assertive physicians is essential to effective patient care. Although limited, existing literature examining assertiveness in medical students has found that increased assertiveness is associated with decreased stress and anxiety levels. This study aims to contribute to the existing body of literature. An anonymous, online survey study was conducted at a single California allopathic medical program. Survey measures included the General Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) and the Simple Rathus Assertiveness Scale-Short Form. Participants included first and second-year, preclinical medical students (n = 30). Findings showed a strong negative correlation between participant anxiety and assertiveness scores (r(30) = -0.624, p < .001). Faculty and administrators can implement proactive strategies and training to support students' interpersonal and professional development. Future, longitudinal research across multiple sites is needed to better understand the relationship between assertiveness and anxiety in medical students.

Mental health challenges are escalating globally, with increasing numbers of individuals accessing crisis helplines through various modalities. Despite this growing demand, there is limited understanding of how crisis helplines benefit help-seekers over the course of a conversation. Affective computing has the potential to transform this area of research, yet it remains relatively unexplored, partly due to the scarcity of available helpline data.

Smoking and physical inactivity compromise health, especially in combination. Interventions to promote smoking cessation and increased physical activity (PA) often lack impact, especially in the long term. Digital future-self interventions (FSIs), which prompt individuals to imagine who they do and do not want to become (ie, their desired and undesired future selves), show promise in encouraging sustainable changes in both behaviors. However, knowledge of user experiences with digital FSIs is limited. A deeper understanding of these experiences could help optimize FSIs, enhancing their efficacy in supporting smoking cessation and increased PA sustainably.

The project “Personalised Integrated Care Promoting Quality of Life for Older People” aimed to develop an integrated care system based on information and communication technology to support older people living with Parkinson’s disease or Dementia disease. One module focuses on physical activity (PA) recommendations.

Patients using buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) or long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain are at risk for poor outcomes if care is interrupted. Both treatments are highly regulated, with prepandemic requirements for in-person care. COVID-19 may have resulted in barriers to accessing in-person care through disruptions in care delivery. However, there were also opportunities for improved access to telemedicine visits through policy changes.

Experience Sampling Methods (ESM) have been used in clinical research to collect data on emotional and behavioural states in real life contexts among different populations. Although the use of ESM in mental health has increased, it has not been applied to larger samples of young people in disadvantaged urban settings.

The number of studies on the use of smart wearables has increased dramatically in recent years. However, aspects including personal safety and fashion perspectives of wearable devices have not yet been adequately addressed in the literature. There have been debates regarding the potential health risks and fashionability of using wearable devices. Regardless of the actual impact of such devices, these aspects may influence users’ perceptions toward the purchase and use of wearable technology.

Opportunities for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) training are limited for medical and nursing students due to patient safety concerns and the complexities of neonatal care. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted clinical training opportunities, further underscoring the need for alternative educational tools that can provide immersive and practical learning experiences. Serious games have garnered attention as potential tools for medical education; however, few are designed to simulate the complete NICU environment and its unique challenges.

The widespread adoption of smartphones and tablet devices, along with advancements in data communication technology, has resulted in a paradigm shift in the treatment of dizziness. External factors, such as the spread of COVID-19, have accelerated this transformation in recent years. We have been pursuing telemedicine and online medical care to treat dizziness and have developed different products and services necessary for each treatment process stage. Several patients face difficulties in accessing medical facilities during severe vertigo episodes. Furthermore, clinical findings, such as nystagmus or other symptoms, may be absent when symptoms subside by the time of their appointment.

Choosing a specialty is a key decision for United States (U.S.) medical students, finalized in the fourth year through the National Resident Matching Program. Influencing factors include experience, gender, lifestyle, finances, and personality. Aligning personality with specialty can boost job satisfaction and patient care. With 51% of pre-clerkship students eyeing competitive fields, making early insights valuable. The five-factor model includes extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Neuroticism—linked to anxiety and emotional instability—affects decision-making, but its role in specialty choice is underexplored. Studies show surgeons tend to have low neuroticism, while future obstetricians and psychiatrists show higher levels. This study examines the relationship between neuroticism and specialty choice among medical students at a U.S. allopathic medical school. The goal is to provide insights for personalized medical career counseling and interventions tailored to student needs.