JMIR Research Protocols

In Australian residential aged care, infection prevention and control (IPC) Lead nurses (IPC Leads) are a key part of the IPC program. IPC Leads are often the main IPC contacts and provide support to staff to improve IPC and resident outcomes. To enhance their competence and self-efficacy, IPC Leads need to engage in ongoing role development. Connecting with other IPC Leads, learning together, and sharing ideas and resources could also be beneficial. Communities of practice (CoPs) have been shown to improve self-efficacy and job satisfaction by fostering belonging, peer learning, and problem-solving. Drawing on social learning theory, CoPs encourage learning with and from one another to explore and iteratively develop practice. This study draws on the CoP literature and builds on our previous pilot of a CoP for IPC Leads in 1 state of Australia, which found promising impacts on confidence and practice change.

Wearable technologies are rapidly transforming the health care landscape by enabling the tracking of real-time physiological and behavioral data used in healthy lifestyle interventions. Despite their widespread adoption in the consumer market, scientific validation of their impact on the brain remains limited, and factors influencing effects on cognition and adherence are not fully understood. This gap is critical, as consumers, health care providers, and researchers depend on these data to unlock the potential of wearables for cognitive support.

Virtual patients (VPs) are considered cost-effective and convenient tools for clinical training. The research team developed a smartphone-based VP tailored to the needs of primary health care physicians in rural China. The VP demonstrated high levels of feasibility and acceptability in this group in a previous study.

Family peers (FPs) have lived experience of parenting a child with mental health needs and specialized training to support other caregivers. They provide informational, emotional, affirmational, and instrumental support and are reimbursable by Medicaid in many states. While there have been positive results of FP support in randomized trials, there is little understanding of the mechanisms through which FP support improves caregiver and child outcomes. While observational coding is considered the gold standard for measuring psychosocial interventions, it has not been acceptable to FPs. This makes it necessary to explore other strategies for measuring intervention delivery.

Elder orphans have been described as a growing vulnerable population of isolated older adults with limited social and caregiving support. There is a lack of consistency in the terminology and definitions of elder orphans. This lack of consistency impedes research and implementation of services for elder orphans, who are predisposed to isolation, loneliness, unmet care needs, and a decline in health outcomes. It is imperative for elder orphans to plan for their health and well-being as they age in the community.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 9% to 12% of reproductive-age women worldwide, with higher prevalence reported in India. Its pathophysiology involves insulin resistance, hyperandrogenism, and chronic low-grade inflammation, increasingly linked to gut dysbiosis and lipopolysaccharide-driven toll-like receptor 4 signaling. Elevated calprotectin and suppressed acylated ghrelin (AGH) reflect this inflammatory-metabolic disruption. While metformin remains standard therapy, it does not address underlying gut dysbiosis. , with its antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties, is a promising but untested gut-targeted adjunct. This trial evaluates whether combining metformin with supplementation improves metabolic and inflammatory outcomes beyond either therapy alone.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)–negative head and neck cancers, often linked to tobacco and alcohol exposure, have a poor prognosis and high recurrence rates. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a promising biomarker for detecting minimal residual disease and monitoring treatment response. Recent studies show that ctDNA can detect recurrence earlier than clinical or radiological methods. Prospective trials are needed to validate its clinical utility.

Restrictive practices, including restraint and seclusion, are used across aged care, mental health, and disability support settings to manage behaviors of concern. These practices are associated with substantial ethical, psychological, and physical harms. Digital health technologies, including real-time monitoring systems and AI-enabled predictive analytics, are increasingly used to detect early behavioral escalation. However, detection or prediction alone does not reduce restrictive practices. It remains unclear how these technologies are translated into care actions, decision-making, and measurable outcomes in real-world settings.

The Otago Exercise Program (OEP), traditionally delivered at home by a physical therapist, is an evidence-based intervention proven to reduce falls and fall-related injuries in older adults. Despite its effectiveness, widespread adoption has been limited by the personnel and resource demands required for program delivery. Exploring alternative delivery methods, including remote platforms and community-based programs, may help overcome implementation barriers and expand access to this program.

Adults with hematological malignancies who develop febrile neutropenia (FN) face elevated risks of sepsis, intensive care admission, and treatment interruptions. Early sepsis detection is challenging, as classical clinical signs are often attenuated or delayed in this population. Current risk stratification tools demonstrate limitations when applied to adults with FN. A tailored, nurse-led scoring system integrating clinical, laboratory, and physiological predictors may enhance early sepsis identification.

Postoperative delirium is common among older adults after major surgery, especially those with cognitive impairment, and is associated with prolonged hospitalization, functional decline, mortality, and subsequent cognitive deterioration. Nonpharmacologic delirium-prevention strategies are recommended but are difficult to deliver reliably in high-acuity environments because they require repeated staff-intensive interactions, consistent patient engagement, and integration into complex intensive care unit (ICU) workflows.

Postpartum fatigue (PPF) is clinically defined as persistent physical and mental exhaustion emerging after childbirth that cannot be fully relieved by rest. It is distinct from postpartum depression and has a prevalence of 76.13% among Chinese women within the first postpartum week. Existing evidence suggests that maternal PPF may alter salivary oxytocin concentrations, disturb maternal caregiving behaviors, and subsequently interfere with multiple dimensions of infant emotional development, including emotional expression, emotional regulation, and emotional recognition. Objective psychophysiological measurements, such as eye-tracking and galvanic skin response, have been validated for assessing infant emotional responses. Nevertheless, most existing studies focus merely on maternal mental well-being. Local longitudinal evidence clarifying this sequential mechanistic chain remains limited, and targeted early screening and intervention strategies for PPF-affected mother-infant dyads are insufficient.