Interactive Journal of Medical Research

Frailty increases with age and is associated with increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. International guidelines recommend screening for frailty in primary care; however, this is not routine practice in Australia. Once identified, frailty progression has the potential to be halted or reversed with early intervention. The FRAIL (Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, Loss of weight) Scale Tool, a simple and validated screening and management tool, offers a feasible approach for integration into the Australian health assessment for those aged 75 years and older (75+HA), which can be performed annually by primary care providers.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its progressive form, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), represent an increasing clinical and public health burden in India. Despite their high prevalence, there are limited data on their diagnostic and management approaches among Indian health care providers. Real-world evidence on how Indian gastroenterologists and hepatologists diagnose and manage these conditions remains limited.

The rising cost of unscheduled acute health care, particularly for emergency department (ED) visits, poses significant financial burdens. In 2021, aggregate costs for treat-and-release ED visits in the United States accounted for an estimated US $80 billion, while the total annual cost of diabetes was US $412.9 billion in 2022—representing about 1 in every 4 health care dollars, 61% of which are directly linked to diabetes.

Self-rated health (SRH) is a robust predictor of morbidity, functional decline, and mortality in later life. As internet use becomes increasingly embedded in older adults’ daily routines, clarifying its association with SRH and the pathways through which it may operate is important for research, practice, and policy.

Aged care has recently undergone major transformations due to demographic aging and the concomitant need to manage health care costs. New emerging technologies (ETs) have started to play central roles in the daily management of older adults. For these transformations to effectively promote successful and active aging, it is essential to understand the opinions of older adults on the impact that technology can have on their vulnerabilities and aging process.

Social isolation and loneliness have considerable health implications. Research indicates that older men are generally more susceptible to social isolation compared with women, highlighting the need to integrate gender-responsive approaches in the development and implementation of interventions for mitigating social isolation and loneliness in later life.

Fibromyalgia is a prevalent musculoskeletal pain condition that causes major personal, social, and societal burden. Pharmacological therapies often provide only limited benefit, making multimodal approaches and self-management the cornerstones of care. Such strategies, spanning lifestyle modification, physical activity, psychoeducation, and cognitive-behavioral approaches, target the biopsychosocial complexity of fibromyalgia and promote sustainable coping. In parallel, digital health technologies are transforming how these interventions can be delivered and coordinated in the form of digital therapeutics. This viewpoint draws on a multiphase investigation to appraise the current and future landscape of fibromyalgia self-management in the digital era. Its objective is to present an evidence-based framework and recommendations to guide the development of a mobile health self-management program for patients with fibromyalgia. In phase 1, we conducted a review of international guidelines and randomized controlled trial–based systematic reviews addressing nondigital self-management interventions for fibromyalgia and related nociplastic pain conditions. In phase 2, we analyzed the content and certification status of currently available mobile and virtual health applications for fibromyalgia. In phase 3, we convened a multidisciplinary focus group of rheumatologists, patients, and digital health developers to identify priorities for translating evidence-based self-management content into mobile health formats. Collectively, we suggest that effective digital self-management for fibromyalgia should evolve beyond single-domain interventions toward validated, personalized, and interactive multimodal platforms. Virtual care may increasingly function at the point of care, linking monitoring, education, and behavioral support in one continuum.

Delayed recognition of patient deterioration in non-ICU settings contributes to serious adverse events. Continuous monitoring devices with alerting systems offer real-time data to support early detection, but their effectiveness depends on usability. While prior reviews focus on clinical outcomes, usability—defined by effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction—remains underexplored.

Choroidal metastases (CM) represent a rare but clinically significant manifestation of systemic malignancy, most frequently from lung cancer.

Global population aging places an increasing burden on healthcare systems. This is driven by multimorbidity, frailty, and polypharmacy. Older adults, particularly those aged ≥65 years, use emergency departments more frequently and experience poorer outcomes. In this population, decisions regarding admission to monitored acute care units—intensive care units, intermediate care units, and operating rooms—are frequent and complex. While emergency department and intensive care unit use are well documented, data on monitored acute care units as a whole remain limited. Evidence on admission trends, patient characteristics, and outcomes in older adults is scarce.

First Nations peoples in Australia experience inequitable mental health outcomes and service access. Digital mental health (DMH) services, which refer to offering mental health services through digital platforms, are considered potential solutions to address such mental health service inequities and improve First Nations Australians’ mental health outcomes. However, evidence on the effectiveness of DMH for First Nations Peoples in Australia is yet to be synthesised.

Post-acute care services are important to ensure functional recovery and provide adequate care for geriatric inpatients in acute care. The choice between different post-acute care options can be challenging and predictors for the most appropriate among diverse discharge options are warranted.