JMIR Research Protocols最新文献

Background: Alcohol-induced blackouts (AIBs) are a serious consequence of alcohol use that are strongly associated with experiencing excess alcohol-related harms. AIBs are common and recurrent among young adults who drink. The risk factors for AIBs include dynamics of alcohol use (quantity, speed, duration), alcohol-related behaviors (eg, playing drinking games, not using protective behavioral strategies), and factors related to the subjective experience of alcohol intoxication (eg, expectancies, motivations).

Objective: This study seeks to examine 2 modifiable behaviors that have been shown to impact both alcohol consumption and subjective experiences of intoxication and may therefore be associated with AIB risk: (1) other substance use and (2) sleep.

Methods: Approximately 50 participants will be recruited to participate in this study. Interested individuals will complete an online screening assessment, and those who are eligible (young adults who report recent heavy episodic drinking and AIBs) will be invited to an in-person baseline visit. At the baseline visit, participants will complete a baseline assessment, be fitted with a wrist-worn alcohol sensor (BACtrack Skyn) and a sleep or activity ring sensor (Oura ring), and receive training on the study protocol. Participants will complete a 14-day intensive data collection period consisting of twice daily scheduled mobile surveys and participant-initiated drinking surveys with hourly follow-ups. Participants will also wear the alcohol and sleep or activity sensors continuously during this 14-day period. After the intensive data collection period ends, participants will complete an in-person return visit to return their sensors, complete a follow-up survey, and receive compensation. The data will be processed and cleaned, and analyses will include multi-level structural equation models.

Results: This study was funded in July 2025. Data collection is projected to span January 2026 through June 2026.

Conclusions: This study seeks to understand 2 key modifiable behaviors that may be associated with increased AIB risk by leveraging multiple forms of innovative measurement. The integration of ecological momentary assessments with 2 sensors to capture alcohol use and sleep also supports potential applications in future digital interventions. This study will further enhance our preliminary data on the feasibility and acceptability of these methods, providing opportunities for conducting future research on a larger scale.

Background: More than 20 million individuals worldwide, especially in the Vidarbha region of India, are affected by sickle cell anemia (SCA), a hereditary condition that results in aberrant hemoglobin S and red blood cell distortion. The condition leads to anemia, organ complications, and recurrent pain crises, making region-specific data necessary for efficient therapy and public health initiatives.

Objective: The goal of the study is to examine the clinical characteristics and unusual manifestations of SCA in the Vidarbha region, with an emphasis on dietary practices, clinical presentations, demographic distribution, and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking.

Methods: This observational cross-sectional study with random sampling will be conducted at Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital in Wardha for 3 months. We will recruit 131 individuals aged 18 to 50 years with dominant hemoglobin S and a positive sickling test. A standardized questionnaire addressing clinical symptoms, nutrition, substance use, inheritance patterns, and demographic information will be used to gather data. SPSS (version 17; IBM Corp) will be used for statistical analysis. Data will be summarized using descriptive statistics. Group differences will be evaluated using inferential tests such as 1-way ANOVA, independent 2-tailed t tests, and chi-square tests. Associations between symptoms and lifestyle variables will be investigated by correlation analysis. Statistical significance is defined as a 2-tailed P value <.05.

Results: The anticipated findings may support the need for targeted regional public health initiatives and underscore the importance of comprehensive screening, detailed patient history, and tailored care strategies for individuals with SCA. As of January 2026, this observational study has not received external funding. Participant recruitment and data collection commenced in January 2026 and are currently ongoing. Data analysis will be undertaken following completion of data collection, and the final results are expected to be submitted for publication in April 2026.

Conclusions: The findings will support the need for focused regional public health initiatives and emphasize the need for thorough screening, patient history, and customized care techniques for SCA.

Background: Several factors come into consideration when medical students choose their future specialty. Among these factors, the desire to start a family and planning the best timing for pregnancy may interfere with career advancement in certain specialties.

Objective: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first scoping review aimed at understanding medical students' career choice and parental expectations without restriction of the specialty chosen. This protocol describes a scoping review aiming to understand how representations regarding specialties and parenthood influence medical students' career choice., This protocol describes a scoping review aiming to understand how representations regarding specialties and parenthood influence medical students' career choice.

Methods: We will search PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ERIC, and PsycInfo for literature. Additionally, the reference lists of included articles will be screened for further inclusion. Rayyan and Endnote will be used to organize data screening and extraction. The database selection will allow us to extract and analyze data from various disciplines. This diversity will increase our understanding of medical students' career and personal life decisions. This protocol and the upcoming scoping review have been designed following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines to ensure the quality of the searching process, the data screening, and the data extraction.

Results: This study will conduct a thematic synthesis of how the concepts of representations and perceptions of parenthood are used by medical students in the selected literature, comparing them to theoretical frameworks to clarify their meanings. We also plan to identify key themes related to parenthood and medical specialty choice when planning a career. As of December 2025, we proceeded to data screening. We anticipate publishing our results in the second quarter of 2026.

Conclusions: This scoping review aims to better understand medical students' representations of medical specialties and parenthood, and how these perceptions influence their specialty preferences and career choices. By mapping existing evidence across various disciplines, the review will identify research gaps and provide a foundation for future studies. The findings will offer valuable insights into the challenges of balancing career aspirations and family life, particularly in the context of physician shortages and the growing feminization of the medical profession.

Background: Quality in use (QiU), a stakeholder-centered dimension of software quality encompassing effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and freedom from risk, is essential in evaluating digital systems, particularly in health-related domains. Although QiU has been explored in various fields, its application within connected mental health (CMH) systems remains fragmented and understudied. Given the rapid rise in CMH technologies, ranging from mobile apps to teletherapy platforms, understanding how QiU is conceptualized, evaluated, and reported in this domain has become increasingly urgent.

Objective: This study aims to systematically map and synthesize existing research on QiU in CMH applications. It seeks to identify current trends, research gaps, evaluation methods, and the range of technologies examined concerning QiU.

Methods: A systematic mapping methodology following the guidelines by Petersen et al will be used. The process includes defining mapping questions, developing a classification scheme, and systematically searching and analyzing peer-reviewed literature from databases-Scopus, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and ACM Digital Library. Eight mapping questions will guide the analysis, focusing on publication trends, research types, empirical evaluations, QiU characteristics and subcharacteristics, and technologies studied.

Results: As this paper presents the protocol for an ongoing mapping study, results are not yet available. The literature search and data analysis are scheduled for completion in 2026. Preliminary screening suggests variability in how QiU is defined and evaluated across CMH technologies, highlighting the need for systematic synthesis.

Conclusions: This systematic mapping study will fill a critical gap by providing a comprehensive overview of QiU research in the context of CMH. By organizing and classifying the existing literature, the study will inform future research, support the development of more user-centered CMH tools, and contribute to establishing more consistent evaluation practices in this growing field.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/79611.

Background: The burden of children with lower respiratory infections and low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia) is high and outcomes are poor in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Pulse oximeters non-invasively measure the capillary oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2) to identify hypoxemia, but high-quality devices designed for the unique needs of children are rarely available in primary healthcare clinics (PHCs) in LMICs where children initially access care.

Objective: To evaluate whether two pediatric pulse oximeters co-designed with healthcare workers (HCWs) in LMICs, compared to a standard pulse oximeter, improve the correct SpO2 management of children in PHCs.

Methods: We are conducting a pragmatic three-arm cluster randomized controlled trial in the Eastern Khayelitsha, Northern, and Tygerberg areas of Cape Town, South Africa, over 18 months between 2024-2026. We plan to enroll 1,200 <2-year-olds with an acute respiratory infection from 18 PHCs randomized to implement one of three pulse oximeters, either one standard of care device or two intervention devices. HCWs in selected PHCs will administer the intervention. Our primary outcome will be 'correct SpO2 management,' an intermediate clinical endpoint between device implementation and hypoxemia outcome, and is defined by the three elements necessary to reduce inappropriately treated hypoxemia, (1) device adoption: HCW use of the device as evidenced by a HCW documented SpO2 and pulse rate, (2) quality SpO2 measurement: SpO2 confirmed by reference device measurement within 2% SpO2 above or below the HCW SpO2, and (3) correct SpO2 decision-making: an appropriate referral recommendation by the HCW. A concurrent mixed methods process evaluation will explore how, why, for whom, and to what extent these devices impact the clinical management of hypoxemic children. The primary analysis will be intention to treat, and for all primary and secondary outcomes, we will conduct pairwise comparisons between the two intervention arms and the control arm.

Results: Data collection commenced in 2024. Results are expected in 2026-2027.

Conclusions: While there are notable challenges inherent to designing a trial to evaluate whether pulse oximeters improve HCW SpO2 management of children at PHCs, our protocol development process attempted to address all potential limitations and sources of bias to maximize the trial's future impact.

Clinicaltrial: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05914324).