JMIR mHealth and uHealth

Cervical cancer is currently the leading female cancer in Uganda. Most women are diagnosed with late-stage disease. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is the single most important primary preventive measure. While research regarding text message vaccine reminder use is strong in the U.S., their use has not yet been demonstrated in a pre-teen and adolescent population in Sub-Saharan Africa or other low- and middle-income countries.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a major cause of mortality, necessitating immediate and high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for improved survival rates. High-quality CPR is defined by chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 per minute and a depth of 50-60 mm. Monitoring and maintaining these parameters in real time during emergencies remain a challenge.

The digital education platform Doctorvice (iKooB Inc.) offers face-to-face physician-patient education during outpatient clinic visits, remote glucose monitoring, and the delivery of educational messages, and is expected to be effective for personalized diabetes care.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major challenge of the twenty-first century. Digital technologies are now an increasingly effective means of supporting optimal healthcare delivery and public health.

Considering the high prevalence of mental health conditions among young people and the technological advancements of artificial intelligence (AI)–based approaches in health services, mobile health (mHealth) apps for mental health are a promising way for low-threshold and large-scale mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention strategies, especially for young people. However, insufficient evidence on health-promoting effects and deficient user-centric designs emphasize the necessity for participatory methods in the interventions’ development processes.

Recruitment of demographically diverse samples in clinical research is often challenging and even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic when traditional, in-person recruitment methods could not be implemented. Social media platforms offer an alternative approach for recruiting diverse samples of participants for clinical trials, including those testing digital health interventions. This approach allowed for a quicker recruitment process without the physical constraints associated with traditional, in-person methods.

Utilising digital health technologies to aid individuals in managing chronic diseases offers a promising solution to overcome health service barriers such as access and affordability. However, their effectiveness depends on adoption and sustained use, influenced by user preferences.

The adoption of protective behaviors represents a crucial measure to counter the spread of infectious diseases. The development of effective behavior change techniques therefore emerged as a public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, but randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing such interventions during the pandemic were scarce. We conducted a Multiphase Optimization Strategy to develop, optimize, and evaluate a smartphone app, Soapp+, to promote hand hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Insomnia is the most commonly reported sleep disturbance and significantly impacts mental health and quality of life. Traditional treatments for insomnia include pharmacological interventions or cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), but these options may not be accessible to everyone who needs treatment.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) negatively impacts clinical health outcomes, resulting in frequent exacerbations, increased hospitalizations, reduced physical activity, deteriorated quality of life, and diminished self-efficacy. Previous studies demonstrated that a self-management program tailored for adults with COPD improves self-management decisions, resulting in a positive effect on clinical health outcomes. Limitations of these studies include issues regarding heterogeneity among interventions used, patient population characteristics, outcome measures, and longitudinal studies. Limited studies focused on the use of a comprehensive self-management program using a smartphone app for adults with COPD over 12 months.

Frail older adults are at greater risk of adverse health-related outcomes such as falls, disability, and mortality. Mild behavioral impairment (MBI), which is characterized by neurobehavioral symptoms in individuals without dementia, is a crucial factor in identifying at-risk groups and implementing early interventions for frail older adults. However, the specific role of social functioning, which encompasses social interaction and loneliness levels, in relation to frailty within this group remains unclear.

Online pharmacy applications facilitate the electronic exchange of health-related supplies. They are digital platforms that run on websites and smartphones. Pakistan is experiencing significant progress in smartphone integration and digital services, leading to the expansion of the online pharmacy business. However, concerns remain over the legitimacy and precision of these applications.