JMIR Research Protocols

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly prevalent and aggressive malignancy of the oral cavity, frequently preceded by oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD). Despite therapeutic advances, survival rates remain unsatisfactory, primarily due to late diagnosis, recurrence, and molecular alterations in histologically tumor-free surgical margins. Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), an immune checkpoint molecule, contributes to tumor immune evasion and has been implicated in cancer progression. Its expression in OPMDs and OSCC surgical margins may serve as an early indicator of malignant transformation and recurrence risk.

The salutogenic model, introduced by Aaron Antonovsky, represents a fundamental paradigm shift from the traditional pathogenic orientation—which focuses on the etiology of disease—to a focus on the origins of health (salutogenesis). The core of this model is the Sense of Coherence, a global orientation that allows individuals to mobilize Generalized Resistance Resources to cope with the stressors of daily life. Although salutogenesis has been extensively researched in Europe and North America, its systematic application within diverse and multicultural contexts, marked by the inequity present in Mexico and Latin America, remains fragmented and insufficiently documented. There is a lack of clarity regarding how the model adapts to local realities, specifically in these countries.

Austria has only recently established a legal framework for assisted dying. Individuals seeking assistance in suicide must navigate a multistage process that has been criticized for its complexity both for the individuals seeking assistance and for the health care and legal professionals involved in the procedure.

AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), a key part of the federally funded Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) to low-income and uninsured or underinsured people with HIV. As long as they meet federal regulations, jurisdictions maintain flexibility in implementing ADAPs, allowing for a range of operational and programmatic options, including eligibility criteria, formulary design for ART (and non-ART) drugs, and the nature and character of insurance support. These programmatic and policy decisions ultimately impact ADAP client outcomes, including engagement in care, differences in the populations benefiting from ADAP, and viral suppression rates. Despite ADAPs achieving an 85% national average viral suppression rate, this falls short of the 90% goal needed to end the HIV epidemic, and no formal evaluation has examined how specific operational or policy factors drive success across states.

Up to 92% of individuals with eating disorders (EDs) report engaging in body checking behaviors (eg, repeated self-weighing and pinching of various body parts) to assess their weight and shape. These behaviors contribute to increased body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and dietary restriction, thereby maintaining ED symptomology.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health threat that increases the burden of infectious diseases and disproportionately affects communities of low socioeconomic status. Despite the call for community-level AMR data, prospective studies from rural sub-Saharan African communities to inform appropriate targeted interventions remain scarce. Given the role of enteric bacteria in AMR transmission dynamics, there is a need to understand the timing, risk factors, and ecological drivers of gut resistome acquisition and development during infancy.

Hispanic youth are disproportionately impacted by obesity and subsequent type 2 diabetes (T2D) yet remain underrepresented in diabetes prevention research. Digital health interventions hold promise for increasing the accessibility to and engagement in disease prevention programming, particularly among high-risk populations. However, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding digital T2D prevention programs for adolescents or Hispanic youth.

Long-term care (LTC) homes across Canada are facing a crisis in worker recruitment and retention. In the province of Ontario, personal support workers (PSWs) make up 58% of the LTC workforce and play a key role in addressing staffing shortages. Despite the provincial training and education standards implemented in 2014, PSWs working in LTC consistently report feeling unprepared and undersupported and a lack of confidence, leading to high turnover rates. Integrated learning approaches such as the Living Classroom may ease the transition from education to practice, supporting recruitment and retention of PSWs into LTC.

India faces a complex spectrum of malnutrition, with undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and rising overweight and obesity coexisting across populations and life stages. National surveys, such as the National Family Health Survey, Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey, and WHO STEPwise approach to Surveillance, provide essential population-level estimates but are episodic, limiting their utility for timely, institution-level prevention and early detection of nutrition and metabolic risks. Continuous, life course–oriented surveillance is required to support responsive public health action and double-duty approaches addressing multiple forms of malnutrition.

Severe malaria remains a major global health challenge, particularly in endemic regions, where it causes substantial morbidity and mortality, especially among children and pregnant women. Although numerous clinical trials have evaluated treatments for severe malaria, heterogeneity in outcome selection, definition, and measurement limits comparability across studies, hampers evidence synthesis, and contributes to research waste. There is currently no established core outcome set (COS) for trials specifically focused on severe malaria treatment. Developing a COS is therefore essential to improve outcome standardization, strengthen evidence synthesis, and support evidence-based clinical practice.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) leads to pain, disability, and reduced quality of life. For advanced stages, knee arthroplasty surgery is the standard treatment, yet dissatisfaction and persistent mobility deficits remain common. Current surgical decision-making processes seldom incorporate objective predictors of outcomes, such as biomechanical data. Advances in computer vision, wearable sensors, and artificial intelligence now enable efficient capture and interpretation of clinically prognostic gait features in real-world settings. However, the clinical adoption of such innovations remains limited, hindered by usability challenges, misalignment with stakeholder needs, and system-level barriers.

Operational research (OR) in eye care within resource-constrained settings helps develop context-specific solutions to local challenges. Building OR capacity among eye care personnel enables them to independently generate evidence that drives improvements in eye care delivery.