Source: freepik.com Copyright: Freepik URL: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/doctor-vaccinating-patient-clinic_12892257.htm License: Licensed by JMIR Provaccination tweets outnumbered antivax sentiment almost four to one in new research that canvassed a whopping 75 million COVID-19 comments on Twitter at the height of the global pandemic. Shattering public perception that antivax messaging ruled the airwaves, the collaborative study published today, led by the University of Melbourne in partnership with Curtin University, assessed vaccination-related tweets between March 2020 and March 2021. Study coauthor Dr Mengbin “Ben” Ye, from the Centre for Optimisation and Decision Science within Curtin’s School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences, said provax discussion significantly dominated antivax discussion in contrastRead More →

Source: freepik.com Copyright: Drazen Zigic Source image URL: https://tinyurl.com/4pwtcb7k License: Licensed by JMIR New research finds a novel parenting smartphone app, developed by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London and South London, and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, reduced child emotional problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app, Parent Positive, was designed specifically to support parents during COVID-19 lockdowns. It provides evidence-based online resources, advice on common parenting challenges, and access to expert support. Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the Supporting Parents And Kids Through Lockdown Experiences (SPARKLE) trial—a collaboration between King’s College and the University of Oxford—investigatedRead More →

Source: Unsplash Copyright: Annie Spratt URL: https://unsplash.com/photos/kZO9xqmO_TA License: Licensed by JMIR Program allows children’s voices to shine A pilot study shows how after-school care can play an important role in building children’s well-being and social connection. The program involves children in the design process and gives them a voice and role to shape their own experience. Children are learning to build their well-being and meaningful social connections through a unique study that fills a crucial gap in outside school hours care (OSHC) across Australia. OSHC is the fastest-growing childhood education and care sector in Australia. In 2020, the Productivity Commission reported that the OSHC systemRead More →

Newly published research in the journal JMIRx Bio challenges the popular theory linking the Loch Ness Monster to giant eels, revealing statistical evidence against their existence (Toronto, July 24, 2023) In a new study published in JMIRx Bio, one of JMIR Publications’ new overlay journals, scientist Floe Foxon explores whether the Loch Ness Monster, a creature in Scottish folklore, could be a giant eel. Using previous estimates of the monster’s size to predict the probability of encountering a large eel of a similar size, the study found that giant eels could not account for sightings of larger animals in Loch Ness, a freshwater lake inRead More →

Researchers demonstrate how AI can generate seemingly authentic scientific articles, prompting ethical concerns in the scientific community A new study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research on May 31, 2023, by Dr Martin Májovský and colleagues has revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) language models such as ChatGPT (Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) can generate fraudulent scientific articles that appear remarkably authentic. This discovery raises critical concerns about the integrity of scientific research and the trustworthiness of published papers. Researchers from Charles University, Czech Republic, aimed to investigate the capabilities of current AI language models in creating high-quality fraudulent medical articles. The team used theRead More →

Source: iStock Copyright: Sean Anthony Eddy URL: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/doctor-researcher-or-scientist-browsing-the… License: Licensed by the authors A new paper by experts at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the leading peer-reviewed journal for digital medicine and health and health care in the internet age. The paper, “Text Analysis of Trends in Health Equity and Disparities From the Internal Revenue Service Tax Documentation Submitted by US Nonprofit Hospitals Between 2010 and 2019: Exploratory Study,” was authored by Emily Hadley, Laura Marcial, Wes Quattrone, and Georgiy Bobashev. Many US hospitals are classified as nonprofits and receive tax-exempt status partially in exchange for providing benefits to theRead More →

New research shows AI-based automated quantitative coronary angiography (AI-QCA) holds promise for accurate analysis of heart disease (Toronto, June 12, 2023) – New research published in JMIR Cardio reveals the remarkable potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in analyzing coronary angiography, a common diagnostic procedure for coronary artery disease. Led by Dr In Tae Moon, the study conducted at Uijeongbu Eulji University Hospital in Korea showcases the power of AI-based quantitative coronary angiography (AI-QCA) in enhancing clinical decision-making.  The study compared AI-QCA to intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), to validate its performance. IVUS is a widely used imaging tool to assess coronary artery stenotic lesions. Simply put,Read More →

New research highlights the potential of wearable sleep devices to improve sleep health among marginalized populations and identifies possible barriers to the acceptance and adoption of wearable technologies. In a new study, titled “Acceptability and Usability of a Wearable Device for Sleep Health Among English- and Spanish-Speaking Patients in the Safety Net: Qualitative Analysis,” researchers found that wearable sleep devices hold promise in positively impacting sleep health among marginalized populations. Sleep disorders can lead to many health issues and disproportionately affect marginalized communities, highlighting the importance of monitoring sleep health. This study, published by JMIR Publications in their journal JMIR Formative Research, investigated how participantsRead More →

  Source: Freepik Copyright: Racool_studio URL: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/portrait-doctor_9833249.htm License: Licensed by JMIR The burden of mental health disorders is among the top 10 causes of disease burden worldwide, and evidence shows no signs of reduction since 1990. To reduce their impact on the global population, more effective prevention and treatment programs should be implemented, with access to care remaining one of the core pillars of successful interventions. In parallel, digital health apps have become one of the most visible faces of the ongoing digital transformation in health care, and digital mental health apps (DMHAs) are among the most downloaded condition-specific apps. Although a match between mentalRead More →

Source: freepik.com Copyright: Drazen Zigic https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/woman-with-headache-holding-her-head-pain-while-relaxing-sofa-using-mobile-phone_26142957.htm Licensed by JMIR Dr Zhraa Alhaboby, an academic in health sciences at The Open University (OU), has published a study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research highlighting the scale and impact of cybervictimization on those living with long-term conditions or disabilities. Sadly, people living with chronic conditions experience harassment in both offline and online contexts. In this study, cybervictimization is used as an umbrella term for negative online experiences, which the research found to be a significant public health issue with serious consequences. The research examined the scope of cybervictimization among adults living with long-term conditions in the United KingdomRead More →