Journal of Medical Internet Research

Generative AI (GAI) is rapidly transforming research practices, including qualitative methods in health research. While these tools offer efficiency in processing large volumes of textual data, concerns remain regarding their methodological rigor, interpretive capacity, equity, and ethical implications.

Online appointment platforms are often viewed as tools of convenience, but they may reproduce and potentially amplify inequities rooted in underlying insurance and reimbursement structures. In this commentary, we highlight implications from a study using simulated profiles of patients with statutory health insurance (SHI) and private health insurance (PHI) to conduct an internet-based audit of online appointments. Not only was the time to the first available appointment longer for SHI than PHI patients, but also the PHI profile had access to more listings with appointments, and listings offering earlier PHI than SHI appointments appeared higher in search results than listings offering the same appointment timing to both. Accounting for strengths, limitations, and opportunities for future research, the study suggests several policy implications. First, leaders should view online scheduling platforms as access infrastructure, not merely convenience tools, and evaluate them with respect to access and disparities, not only adoption and satisfaction. Second, future evaluation and work should treat access as multidimensional, assessing multiple measures of access and comparing online with other scheduling channels. Third, insurance and delivery reform should accompany actions to govern digital platforms, which can organize and display, but cannot alone eliminate, disparities rooted in reimbursement and care structures. Ultimately, the relevant question about online scheduling platforms is not only whether such systems make booking easier but also whether they narrow, preserve, or widen broader health system inequalities. Digital front doors should be judged both by how easily they open and whether patients have equitable opportunities to pass through them.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease influenced by genetic, epigenetic, ecological, and environmental factors, with a global prevalence of 7.7 to 13 per 100,000, and standardized mortality rates of 2.4% to 5.9%. Between 14% and 75% of patients experience psychiatric comorbidities such as anxiety and depression, which impair treatment adherence and health-related quality of life. Social media has become an important channel for patients to express health concerns and seek support. Reddit and Weibo, as mainstream platforms globally and in China, respectively, host large volumes of user-generated content; however, no prior study has examined SLE-related discourse across both cultural and platform contexts.

Problematic internet use (PIU) in adolescents often co-occurs with psychopathological symptoms. Social connectedness (SC) is a potential protective factor for both PIU and psychopathological symptoms, but how SC interacts with the PIU-psychopathology system remains unclear.

Assistive technologies can support independent living among older adults, helping manage health and maintain independence, but uptake is often constrained by attitudes, confidence, and socioeconomic factors. The COVID-19 lockdowns accelerated technology use across all age groups, offering a natural experiment to examine changes in adoption.

General-purpose AI tools are increasingly accessible to mental health professionals, yet little is known about how these off-the-shelf systems are being integrated into routine therapeutic practice.

A recent participatory co-design study for a social media–based mental health intervention targeting perinatal women in regional, rural, and remote communities identified five core intervention needs: peer support and connection, personalized care, access to information that is trustworthy and eases uncertainty, place and culturally specific support, and a digital platform that is accessible and easy to use. This commentary argues that digital platform selection should be addressed as an active intervention component. A hybrid model that uses the built-in user base and accessibility of social media alongside the increased privacy and content control afforded by a customized mobile app could maximize the benefits of both platforms to more fully address all components of the proposed intervention.

Radiology departments frequently manage large, heterogeneous worklists using first-in, first-out (FIFO) reporting workflows. This approach does not account for clinical urgency and may contribute to prolonged reporting delays, particularly in high-volume settings. AI systems are increasingly being integrated into radiology workflows, not only for image analysis but also as tools for worklist prioritization and report generation. However, real-world evidence of their operational impact remains limited.

The rapid advancement of AI has introduced new opportunities for palliative care. However, its context-specific applicability and the trade-offs related to it use for older adults with multimorbidity, functional decline, and complex care needs remain unclear.