JMIR Research Protocols

Language barriers in mental health care can hinder diagnostic accuracy, communication quality, and therapeutic rapport. Multilingual mental health care providers (MHCPs) or qualified interpreters are not always available, prompting interest in mobile translation apps as alternative tools. The usability of such tools in mental health consultations remains underexplored.

Workplace violence against health care professionals has increased worldwide, leading to negative psychological, professional, and organizational outcomes. Despite existing prevention and reporting programs, underreporting and lack of accessible, confidential support persist. Digital health tools, including chatbots, may offer scalable support, guidance, and follow-up for affected professionals.

More than 950,000 adults over 65 years of age are hospitalized each year after injury. Recommended care for this vulnerable group includes discussion of their goals for life-sustaining care (“code status”) upon admission, but most older patients do not participate in adequate code status discussions. Randomized trials have demonstrated that video-based interventions are associated with better patient knowledge and improved alignment of patient preferences for life-sustaining treatment; however, there are limited data on the effectiveness of these interventions in acutely injured patients.

Agni (digestive or metabolic factors) is a fundamental concept in Ayurveda that governs digestion, metabolism, and absorption. The strength of Agni varies from individual to individual, depending on various factors. Given its clinical importance, several researchers have developed screening tools to estimate Agni strength. Identifying valid and reliable Agni assessment tools will enhance diagnostic precision. In research, standardized and validated instruments facilitate reproducible studies, enabling meaningful comparisons across populations and settings.

Chronic pain affects over 30% of the global population and remains a major public health issue due to limited treatment efficacy and the need for mechanism-based, personalized approaches. Motor behavior is theorized to play a role in pain persistence through altered movement patterns, muscle recruitment, and proprioception. While motor behavior is linked to chronic pain, empirical evidence on underlying mechanisms, particularly cortical dynamics, remains scarce.

Erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) is an immunological complication affecting up to 10% of borderline lepromatous and 50% of lepromatous leprosy cases with a high bacterial index (3‐6+). Current treatments often require prolonged therapy over years and cause significant long-term side effects, highlighting the need for new therapies. Therefore, it is imperative to identify new therapies for ENL. Phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors are a class of compounds that mediate immune homeostasis and have the potential to treat ENL with fewer side effects. Dovramilast (formerly CC-11050) is an anti-inflammatory phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor; to date, it has been shown to be well tolerated in phase 1 human studies. This is the first phase 2 study of dovramilast in ENL.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by severe inflammatory lung injury leading to life-threatening hypoxemia. Standard treatment includes lung-protective mechanical ventilation and adjunctive measures, while veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (vvECMO) is used as a rescue therapy in refractory cases. However, the optimal timing for initiation of vvECMO remains uncertain, with official recommendations identifying it as a rescue therapy, while emerging evidence suggests that earlier implementation of vvECMO during the disease course might provide benefits.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global health challenge, with substantial mortality despite the availability of standardized treatment regimens. Accurate prognostication remains difficult, as no host-derived biomarker is routinely used to predict TB outcomes. C-reactive protein (CRP), a widely available acute-phase reactant, has been proposed as a potential prognostic biomarker, but its prognostic value for mortality in TB has not been systematically synthesized.

Postoperative pain after musculoskeletal surgery impedes early rehabilitation and reduces quality of life. Electroacupuncture is used as an adjunct for analgesia, but the optimal stimulation frequency and short-term response trajectory have not been established.

Survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in childhood face a high risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease as well as accelerated aging. Estimates of the prevalence of these severe late effects have varied widely because they have been based on small cohorts or mixed populations of patients that received transplantations for both malignant and nonmalignant diseases, and the co-occurrence of these late effects was not assessed. Therefore, the true burden of these complications in survivors of hematological malignancies remains unclear. Moreover, the role of potentially modifiable risk factors such as health behaviors and inflammation has not yet been determined.

As the histopathology workforce continues to struggle and service demand continues to increase, it has become prudent to consider viable avenues to try to alleviate diagnostic workload burden. One such avenue is computer-based technologies (CBTs). Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant neoplasm in the United Kingdom and requires additional testing for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) status at the time of histological diagnosis. This makes BC diagnostics a promising candidate for the application of an efficient CBT. However, for clinical acceptance, these technologies must prove that they work within a real-life diagnostic environment.

As the first peoples of Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have continuing cultures that are essential to wellbeing. Complex sociocultural, health, and wellbeing inequities stemming from colonization, settler-colonialism, and mental health system challenges have led to high rates of negative mental health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing outcomes is a national public health priority. Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) and the cultural determinants of health (CDH) provide evidence-based approaches for providing culturally centered wellbeing support. There is a need to increase the availability, accessibility, and effectiveness of culturally relevant, holistic, and strengths-based wellbeing supports. It is essential that Aboriginal communities have self-determined opportunities to develop and implement culturally centered wellbeing supports informed by SEWB and the CDH. Aboriginal digital health and wellbeing support research is an emerging field offering potential to help improve wellbeing outcomes. This study aims to explore how virtual reality (VR) could be used to provide SEWB and CDH support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.