JMIR Formative Research

The rapid integration of digital technologies in healthcare has emphasised the need to ensure that medical students are well equipped with the knowledge and competencies related to digital health.

The growing prevalence of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) has significant impacts on the healthcare systems and quality of life. Understanding the MCC prevalence throughout adulthood offers valuable insights into the evolving burden of chronic diseases and provides strategies for more effective healthcare outcomes.

There is a notable lack of psychotherapeutic services tailored to the needs of Two Spirit, transgender, and nonbinary (2STNB) people of color (POC); research indicates that 2STNB POC clients report a lack of competence and cultural humility on the part of their therapists.

Recent technological advances in wearable devices offer new potential for measuring mobility in real-world contexts. Mobilise-D has validated digital mobility outcomes to provide novel outcomes and end points in clinical research of 4 different long-term health conditions (Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and proximal femoral fracture). These outcomes also provide unique information that is important to patients; however, there is limited literature that explores the optimal methods to achieve this, such as the best way to visualize patients’ data.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated issues of poverty and food insecurity in New York City, and many residents experienced difficulty accessing available resources to help them get food on the table. Social media presents an opportunity to observe and understand the barriers people face in accessing affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods.

Note-taking is a method that has long been used to optimize studying. Recent innovations have seen the introduction of digital note-taking using software applications (“apps”). Although the current state of digital note-taking has been verified mainly among students, the utilization and efficacy of digital note-taking by physicians in actual clinical practice remain unknown. Therefore, we sought to understand the characteristics of note-taking residents using the app and determine whether there is a difference in basic medical knowledge compared to that of non-digital note-taking residents.

There are about 40 000 people living in Norwegian care homes, where a majority are living with a dementia diagnosis. Social isolation and loneliness are common issues affecting care home residents’ quality of life. As a result of visitation restrictions during the pandemic, residents and family members started using digital solutions to keep in contact. There is no framework or guidelines to inform the uptake and use of technologies in the care home context and this often results in non-adoption and a lack of use after the introduction phase. Hence, there is a great need for research on the feasibility of a robot that can facilitate video communication between residents and family members.

Older adults’ utilization of digital healthcare remains low despite high demand for regular health services. Easily accessible eHealth interventions designed for older adults are needed.

The Data-Driven Fasting (DDF) app implements glucose-guided eating (GGE), an innovative dietary intervention that encourages individuals to eat when their glucose level, measured via glucometer or continuous glucose monitor, falls below a personalised threshold to improve metabolic health. Clinical trials using GGE, facilitated by paper logging of glucose and hunger symptoms, have shown promising results.

Empathy is a critical component of effective mental health care communication. Positive perceptions of empathy in Conversational Agents (CAs) operating in the healthcare domain are therefore needed to enhance the quality of care provided by these emerging technologies. However, research on how users perceive empathy in CAs is limited, particularly in voice-based prototypes.

The potential for digital interventions in self-management and treatment of mild to moderate eating disorders (EDs) has already been established. However, apps are infrequently recommended by ED therapists to their clients. Those that are recommended often have poor engagement and user satisfaction, leading to unsatisfactory outcomes. Barriers to recommendation include patient safety, data privacy, and a perception that they may not be effective. Many existing interventions have limited functionality or do not differ much from manual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or self-help books, which may not adequately support the therapeutic process or sustain user engagement.

With the rapid development of the internet and its widespread use, online health information-seeking OHIS has become a popular and important research topic. Various benefits of online health information seeking (OHIS) are well recognized. However, OHIS seems to be a mixed blessing. Research on OHIS has been reported in Western countries and in developed regions in eastern China. studies on the population in the western region of China, such as Chongqing, are still limited.