Interactive Journal of Medical Research

The significant impact of digital health emerged prominently during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, there is a paucity of bibliometric analyses focusing on technologies within the field of digital health patents. Patents offer a wealth of insights into technologies, commercial prospects, and competitive landscapes, often undisclosed in other publications. Given the rapid evolution of the digital health industry, safeguarding algorithms, software, and advanced surgical devices through patent systems is imperative. The patent system simultaneously acts as a valuable repository of technological knowledge, accessible to researchers. This accessibility facilitates the enhancement of existing technologies and the advancement of medical equipment, ultimately contributing to public health improvement and meeting public demands.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to several surges in the mass hospitalization rate. Extreme increases in hospital admissions without adequate medical resources may increase mortality. No study has addressed the impact of daily census of ventilated patients on mortality in the context of the pandemic in a nationwide setting.

Radiogenomics is an emerging technology that integrates genomics and medical image–based radiomics, which is considered a promising approach toward achieving precision medicine.

Gaming has become an integrated part of life for children and adults worldwide. Previous studies on the impact of gaming on biochemical parameters have primarily addressed the acute effects of gaming. The literature is limited, and the study designs are very diverse. The parameters that have been investigated most thoroughly are blood glucose and cortisol.

Prior literature suggests a dose-response relationship between physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms. The intensity and domain of PA are suggested to be critical to its protective effect against depression; however, existing literature has shown mixed results.

In comparison to the general population, prison inmates are at a higher risk for drug abuse and psychiatric, as well as infectious, diseases. Although intramural health care has to be equivalent to extramural services, prison inmates have less access to primary and secondary care. Furthermore, not every prison is constantly staffed with a physician. Since transportation to the nearest extramural medical facility is often resource-intensive, video consultations may offer cost-effective health care for prison inmates.

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is a common neurological condition, with disease progression that is both variable and difficult to predict. Here, we present a case of DCM in a gentleman in his late 60s with significant radiological disease progression without consequent change in clinical symptoms. The case serves as a reminder of an enduring medical aphorism that clinical history and examination should be prioritized above more complex data, such as imaging investigations. In addition, the case also highlights that guidelines should be contextualized within individual clinical circumstances.

Spontaneous pneumothorax is one of the most common conditions encountered in thoracic surgery. This condition can be treated conservatively or surgically based on indications and guidelines. Traditional surgical management includes pleurodesis (mechanical or chemical) in addition to bullectomy if the bullae can be identified. Mechanical pleurodesis is usually performed by surgical pleurectomy or pleural abrasion. In this case report, we present a case of a young patient with spontaneous pneumothorax who needed a surgical intervention. We performed a new, innovative surgical technique for surgical pleurectomy where we used carbon dioxide for dissection of the parietal pleura (capnodissection). This technique may provide similar efficiency to the traditional procedure but with less risk of bleeding and complications.

Quality and accuracy of online scientific data are crucial, given that the internet and social media serve nowadays as primary sources of medical knowledge.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to behavioral exacerbations in people with dementia. Increased hospitalizations and lack of bed availability in specialized dementia wards at a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Singapore resulted in lodging people with dementia in the High Dependency Psychiatric Unit (HDPCU). Customizations to create a dementia-friendly environment at the HDPCU included: (1) environmental modifications to facilitate orientation and engender familiarity; (2) person-centered care to promote attachment, inclusion, identity, occupation, and comfort; (3) risk management for delirium; and (4) training core competencies. Such practical solutions can also be implemented elsewhere to help overcome resource constraints and repurpose services to accommodate increasing populations of people living with dementia.

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The advent of digital health technologies has transformed the landscape of health care, influencing the dynamics of the physician-patient relationship. Although these technologies offer potential benefits, they also introduce challenges and complexities that require ethical consideration.