Journal of Medical Internet Research

Digital health innovations are frequently used to support people in managing chronic health conditions. Stroke is common, and people who have survived a stroke and live in the community must learn to manage their health independently. Digital tools can help, but only if designed to match survivors’ specific needs. In response to a need expressed by people living with chronic health conditions, the Australian government created a funding stream to support the development of a digital resource to help individuals gain confidence in managing their health.

Aspiration pneumonia is a leading cause of death in Parkinson disease (PD). Expiratory muscle strength training (EMST) is a promising intervention for respiratory and swallowing dysfunction. However, long-term EMST adherence is frequently poor in PD.

Blockchain-based health information exchange (HIE) has received increased attention in health care research and practice over the last years. It enables the sharing of patient information across healthcare organizations, provides higher levels of data confidentiality and security, and reduces time and costs in collaborative medical decision-making. To make informed decisions on the implementation of blockchain-based HIE in practice and to fully understand the implications of its use for patient care, it is important to gain insights into patient perceptions of and interactions with blockchain-based HIE.

Social anxiety often manifests through behaviors such as reduced gaze to the eyes and lower speech volume. While these markers have been examined in face-to-face interactions, large-scale assessments remain challenging. Social virtual reality (VR) offers a promising alternative by enabling naturalistic interactions in which behavior can be captured at scale, but it remains unclear if people show naturalistic behavior in such artificial environments.

African adolescents and young adults account for a disproportionate number of new HIV infections. There is an urgent need to identify scalable and cost-effective behavioral HIV prevention strategies for this population. Using a condom at first sex is associated with a higher likelihood of consistent use later. Tumaini (“Hope for the Future” in Swahili; Emory University) is a choose-your-own-adventure smartphone game that has been shown to reduce the risk of unprotected first sex by end line in a 45-month randomized controlled trial in western Kenya.

Dementia prevention through the reduction of modifiable risk factors is gaining attention as a public health strategy. However, public knowledge of dementia risk and protective factors remains low. Web-based education offers a potential solution to raise awareness and promote risk-reduction behaviors.

As the population ages, older adults face an increasing risk of physical inactivity and related health complications, highlighting the need for scalable interventions. Smartphone-based programs have emerged as a promising strategy to support sustained physical activity among older adults.

Mammography screening uptake in Singapore remains below 40% despite campaigns and subsidies. Natural language processing (NLP) can extract nuanced attitudes from free text that fixed response options miss, revealing latent factors influencing breast cancer (BC) screening behavior.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical global health threat, with inappropriate antibiotic use being a major driver. Timely microbiological specimen submission before initiating antibiotic therapy is a cornerstone of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), enabling pathogen-directed therapy and reducing unnecessary broad-spectrum exposure. However, suboptimal compliance remains common due to workflow interruptions, technological barriers, and behavioral factors. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), a proactive risk-assessment method widely used in health care quality improvement, provides a systematic framework to identify process vulnerabilities and prioritize corrective actions. Despite its increasing application, few studies have integrated FMEA with hospital informatization to optimize microbiological specimen submission workflows in routine AMS practice.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is emerging as a growing global public health crisis. Early and effective interventions can reduce T2D incidence among at-risk populations. Compared with traditional approaches, digital health technologies offer promising opportunities for prevention, with eHealth literacy (eHL) emerging as a critical determinant of digital prevention outcomes.

Telecare is seen as a promising technology aimed at enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of health care services. Although focus on quality has been highly prioritized within the health care services, there is a need to explore the quality of telecare services in general and municipal telecare call centers (CCs) in particular, as health and assistive technologies are increasingly being implemented in patients’ homes.