JMIR Research Protocols

In recent years, the intersection of natural language processing (NLP) and public health has opened innovative pathways for investigating social determinants of health (SDOH) in textual datasets. Despite the promise of NLP in the SDOH domain, the literature is dispersed across various disciplines, and there is a need to consolidate existing knowledge, identify knowledge gaps in the literature, and inform future research directions in this emerging field.

Podcasts are an unconventional method of disseminating information through audio to the masses. They are an emerging portable technology and a valuable resource that provides unlimited access for promoting health among participants. Podcasts related to health care have been used as a source of medical education, but there is a dearth of studies on the use of podcasts as a source of health information. This study will provide new perspectives by implementing the SANGYAN podcast, which contains information about COVID-19 and other health conditions. 

The worldwide rise in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases has increased the recognition of the need to identify modifiable risk factors for preventing and managing these diseases. The office worker, as a representative group of physically inactive workers, is exposed to risk factors for metabolic syndrome, which is a primary driver of noncommunicable diseases. The use of virtual reality (VR) exergames may offer a potential solution to the problem of increasing noncommunicable disease prevalence, as it can help individuals increase their physical activity levels while providing a more immersive experience.

Telehomecare monitoring (TM) in patients with cancer is a complex intervention. Research shows variations in the benefits and challenges TM brings to equitable access to care, the therapeutic relationship, self-management, and practice transformation. Further investigation into these variations factors will improve implementation processes and produce effective outcomes.

Gender is known to have a strong influence on human health and disease. Despite its relevance to treatment and outcome, gender is insufficiently considered in current health research. One hindering factor is the poor representation of gender information in clinical and health (meta) data.

The centralization of decision-making power in the public health care system has a negative impact on the practice of professionals and the quality of home care services (HCS) for seniors. To improve HCS, decentralized management could be a particularly promising approach. To be effective, strategies designed to incorporate this management approach require attention to 3 elements: autonomy of local stakeholders, individual and organizational capacities, and accountability for actions and decisions. Not many studies have focused on strategies for integrating decentralized and collaborative management at the local level in HCS.

Metastatic spine tumor surgery (MSTS) is often complex and extensive leading to significant blood loss. Allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) is the mainstay of blood replenishment but with immune-mediated postoperative complications. Alternative blood management techniques (salvaged blood transfusion [SBT]) allow us to overcome such complications. Despite widespread use of intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS) in oncological and nononcological surgical procedures, surgeons remain reluctant to use IOCS in MSTS.

In Germany, digital transformation and legal regulations are leading to the need to integrate digital technologies into the nursing profession. In addition, to nursing practice, they are also being incorporated into nursing training. Despite comprehensive regulations regarding the use of digital teaching and learning media in nursing education, their specific applicability and implementation vary.

Municipalities play a crucial role in population health due to their community connections and influence on health determinants. Community-campus engagement (CCE), that is, collaboration between academic institutions and communities, is a promising approach to addressing community health priorities. However, evidence of CCE’s impact on population health remains limited. Measuring the impacts of CCE is inherently complex due to factors such as diverse stakeholders, context-specific variables, and dynamic interactions within a community.

In patients with atherosclerotic occlusive diseases, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) report that antiplatelets, statins, and antihypertensives reduce the risk of major adverse cardiac events, need for revascularization procedures, mortality, and health care resource use. However, evidence suggests that these patients are not prescribed these medications adequately or do not adhere to them once prescribed.

Integrating algorithm-based clinical decision support (CDS) systems poses significant challenges in evaluating their actual clinical value. Such CDS systems are traditionally assessed via controlled but resource-intensive clinical trials.

Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are increasingly common progressive conditions that have a substantial impact on individuals and their primary care partners—together described as a dyad. The stressors experienced by dyad members at around the time of ADRD diagnosis commonly produce clinically elevated emotional distress (ie, depression and anxiety symptoms), which can become chronic and negatively impact health, relationships, and the overall quality of life. Dyads commonly report unmet needs for early support to address these challenges early after diagnosis.