JMIR Research Protocols

Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience a disproportionate burden of HIV infection globally, including in Ghana. The use of condoms with lubricants correctly and consistently plays a vital role in reducing the number of new HIV infections among MSM. However, there are concerns about the consistent and correct use of condoms and lubricants among MSM in Ghana. In this regard, there is a need to understand context-specific factors associated with consistent and correct condom use with lubricants.

In high-income countries, only 50% of patients treated for chronic diseases adhere to the prescribed treatment. This issue is even more pronounced in resource-limited countries. Medication adherence scales are simple, low-cost approaches to identify nonadherence in clinical practice. In India, nonadherence to medication varies from 18.7% to 74%, assessed using scales validated in the Western population, as there is no validated medication adherence tool contextualized to the Indian setting. The phrasing of questions in scales validated elsewhere and its interpretations may vary when applied in Indian patients unless accounting for the unique cultural, social, and economic factors influencing medication adherence in India. This could result in inaccurate reports of adherence behavior.

The current standard of interpretation provision is not efficacious or not acceptable to Deaf patients who communicate using sign language. In-person or video relay interpretation (VRI) sign language interpretation is largely unavailable. There are no clear data on the availability of VRI or in-person interpretation. Given the limited number of available sign language interpreters and the cost, VRI may be more available than in-person. Existing evidence tends to focus on assessing personal preferences of Deaf users regarding interpretation and interpreters’ preferences. Although respecting preferences is essential, there is a vacuum of knowledge on how the format of access to interpretation impacts the quality of communication between Deaf persons and health personnel.

Despite the implementation of prevention strategies, family violence continues to be a prevalent issue worldwide. Current strategies to reduce family violence have demonstrated mixed success and innovative approaches are needed urgently to prevent the occurrence of family violence. Incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into prevention strategies is gaining research attention, particularly the use of textual or voice signal data to detect individuals at risk of perpetrating family violence. However, no review to date has collated extant research regarding how accurate AI is at identifying individuals who are at risk of perpetrating family violence.

Plastic pollution has reached an alarming magnitude, defining the contemporary era as the “Plastic Age.” Uncontrolled plastic production and inadequate recycling processes have led to widespread contamination of the environment with micro and nanoplastics.

While immunotherapy has revolutionized oncological management, its efficacy in lung cancer patients with liver metastases remains limited, potentially due to the unique immunosuppressive microenvironment of the liver. Local liver treatment has been shown to enhance the immunotherapy response, and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a minimally invasive local treatment, has demonstrated promising results in combination with immunotherapy. However, clinical data regarding HIFU in lung cancer with liver metastases are limited.

The water supply in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, has been unstable and under strain for decades, resulting in major issues with drinking water quality, reliability, and acceptability. In 2018, between 25% and 30% of Gazans did not have regular access to running water. The progressive deterioration of water infrastructure and concerns over the quality of piped water have resulted in a complex mix of drinking water sources used in the Gaza Strip. The challenges of safe water provision in the Gaza Strip could potentially have severe adverse effects on the population’s health and well-being.

Implementation science investigates the processes and factors that influence the successful adoption, implementation, and sustainability of interventions in many settings. Although conventional research places significant emphasis on the advancement and effectiveness of interventions, it is equally imperative to comprehend their performance in practical, real-life situations. Through outcome tracking, implementation science enables researchers to investigate complex implementation dynamics and go beyond efficacy, identifying the various aspects that contribute to the success of interventions.

Cancer survivors are at increased risk for chronic insomnia, even years after treatment completion. As insomnia is associated with a variety of long-term health consequences, access to insomnia treatment is critically important for the survivor population. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is the recommended first-line treatment for insomnia but remains largely unavailable to survivors. Treatment barriers include geographic limitations, a shortage of trained providers, and demanding treatment regimens. Designed with these limitations in mind, the Sleep Treatment Education Program (STEP-1) delivers components of CBTI in a low-intensity educational intervention delivered online.

Metabolic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, contribute significantly to global mortality and disability. Wearable devices and smartphones are increasingly used to track and manage modifiable risk factors associated with metabolic diseases. However, no established guidelines exist on how to derive meaningful signals from these devices, often hampering cross-study comparisons.

Rapid global population growth and urbanization have led to an increase in urban populations in low- and middle-income countries. Although these urban areas have generally better health outcomes than lower-income rural areas, many environmental, social, and health challenges remain. Vientiane, the capital of Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), has approximately 1.5 of the 7.5 million Laotian population (2022) and provides a unique opportunity to examine health outcomes among socioeconomically diverse populations in the rapidly urbanizing context of the country.

Student-led clinics can provide students from allied health professions with the opportunity to gain valuable placement experience as an integral component of their preregistration program, enabling them to develop their competencies, professional skills, and administrative and leadership skills. Student-led clinics have the capacity to help meet the demand for appropriate practice-based learning opportunities, as there is an expectation that all allied health professions students should have high-quality learning experiences, ensuring the future workforce is fit for purpose. An overview of existing student-led clinics will increase our understanding of key characteristics, assisting education providers who may be considering the development of their own clinics. This will include key factors to ensure that this model of practice-based learning meets the needs of service users, students, and education providers.