When a patient walks into a doctor’s office today, they might notice something is missing: the frantic clicking of a keyboard. In exam rooms across Ontario, the traditional image of a physician hunched over a laptop is being replaced by eye contact, active listening, and a small, unobtrusive digital assistant known as an ambient artificial intelligence (AI) scribe.

Virtual Reality (VR) can be a powerful tool in mental health care, particularly for assisting with relaxation. By immersing users in calming natural environments, VR can effectively lower stress and anxiety. However, despite its potential, high-quality VR relaxation remains largely locked away in specialized clinics. The barriers are clear: stand-alone headsets are expensive, the software can be difficult to operate, and many apps aren't available in local languages.

As we close out another banner year at JMIR Publications, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible growth of our YouTube community. In 2025, our mission to make high-impact research accessible reached new heights through our video series:Decoding Digital Health: Author Stories.

As we close out another banner year at JMIR Publications, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible growth of our YouTube community. In 2025, our mission to make high-impact research accessible reached new heights through our flagship playlist:Decoding Digital Health: Author Stories.

Clinical trials rely heavily on the Schedule of Activities (SoAs), the detailed roadmap that dictates what data must be collected and precisely when. Traditionally, this roadmap is presented as a static, tabular chart within the study protocol. However, real-world research is rarely static. Patients miss visits, unexpected events occur, and complex study designs (like in oncology) require multiple treatment cycles and conditional branching.

The foundation of modern, data-driven medicine rests on high-quality empirical evidence, primarily derived from Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs). However, sharing the individual patient data (IPD) from these trials is heavily restricted by regulatory frameworks. For example, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which aims to protect patient privacy. This "privacy paradox" can hinder innovation, preventing researchers from reusing valuable data to develop predictive models or external control arms.

Labor shortages are straining healthcare systems worldwide, severely challenging their ability to sustain high-quality, person-centered care, especially for people with intellectual disabilities. As organizations search for innovative assistants, social robots are moving from concept to reality, showing potential to support both clients and overstretched professional caregivers.

November 14th marks World Diabetes Day, a critical moment to raise global awareness of a condition affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. This day, commemorating the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, co-discoverer of insulin, is a reminder of both historical medical breakthroughs and the urgent need for continuous innovation in prevention, management, and care.

Mental health and well-being are critical not only for individuals, but also for society and the economy. Yet, current support systems often suffer from capacity limitations and fragmented digital tools, highlighting the need for a more integrated approach that facilitates scalable, proactive care. 

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and various cancers, are responsible for a staggering 74% of all global deaths annually. Modifiable behavioral risk factors – like poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking – contribute to many of these diseases. Serious games and gamified applications hold immense potential to help users change their behavior and reduce their risk, but the impact of most existing solutions is limited by interoperability issues. That is, many gamified solutions operate in isolation—they cannot talk to each other or be easily integrated with other patient data in the broader healthcare system.