Nevin Manimala

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2025 Dec 11;13:e73512. doi: 10.2196/73512.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Approximately 1 out of 5 pregnant women develops depression. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) is an effective way to treat not only depression but also mild depressive symptoms or subthreshold depression. While numerous iCBT programs have been developed and tested through randomized controlled trials for various mental health conditions and specific populations, research on their effectiveness and application in the real world remains limited.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a previously developed iCBT program implemented in an existing app for improving depressive symptoms among pregnant women in a real-world setting.

METHODS: The previously developed iCBT program for preventing perinatal depression was already implemented in an existing app called Luna Luna Baby by MTI Ltd. The app aims to provide information to pregnant women about pregnancy and babies, and potential users can download it from the Japanese version of the Apple App Store or Google Play Store without any fee. The program does not require any additional fees. The log data stored on the app identified iCBT program users and nonusers, allowing us to conduct this retrospective cohort study. Data from September 2022 to September 2024 were extracted from the app after anonymous processing. The primary outcome was the score on the self-reported Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), which participants answer by themselves on the app. The exposure group was defined as completers of all 6 modules of the iCBT program. The nonexposure group was defined as users who did not use any module of the program and matched the baseline characteristics of the exposure group. The change in EPDS score before and after using the program was compared using effect sizes, and repeated 2-way ANOVA was conducted to test the difference between the exposure and nonexposure groups.

RESULTS: Data from 119 women who completed the iCBT program and 448 pair-matched controls were selected. The average EPDS scores at baseline were 7.24 (SD 5.30) in the exposure group and 7.25 (SD 5.18) in the nonexposure group. After using the iCBT program, the group mean EPDS scores changed by -0.69 (SD 4.92) and +0.99 (SD 5.56) over time in the exposure and nonexposure groups, respectively (Cohen d=0.31, 95% CI 0.11-0.51). The repeated 2-way ANOVA showed statistical significance in the interaction terms between the groups and the measurement time points (P=.04).

CONCLUSIONS: The previously developed iCBT program showed a significant effect with a modest effect size on decreasing depressive symptoms among pregnant women in a real-world setting. Future research should attempt to minimize dropouts and increase participation in the program.

PMID:41380149 | DOI:10.2196/73512

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2025 Dec 11;13:e82465. doi: 10.2196/82465.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Sleep is essential for overall health and plays a critical role in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Although polysomnography remains the gold standard for measuring sleep, its reliance on laboratory settings limits its feasibility for long-term, naturalistic monitoring, particularly for patients with mental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses sleep-tracking reliability and alignment in healthy individuals and patients with mood disorders using wearables, nearables, and ecological momentary assessment, while examining measurement biases and the impact of seasonal and demographic factors on discrepancies across methods.

METHODS: We conducted a 14-day study in Finland and enrolled a total of 201 participants, comprising patients with a major depressive episode and healthy controls. Of these, 169 participants with sufficient observations were retained for further analyses. Participants’ sleep patterns (onset, offset, and total sleep time [TST]) were gathered daily from an actigraph (Actiwatch 2), a bed sensor (Murata SCA11H), mobile screen events, and a daily survey. The alignment between sleep measurement methods was evaluated using Bland-Altman plots and Pearson correlation. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effects of demographics, season, and disorder type on the sleep measures alignment.

RESULTS: Patients exhibited greater variability in sleep measures than healthy controls. For sleep onset, mean biases between devices were small and not statistically significant in either group, with moderate to strong correlations. In contrast, sleep offset showed significantly larger biases in patients: actigraph versus bed (+34.9 minutes; P=.01), smartphone versus bed (-45.3 minutes; P=.004), and actigraph versus smartphone (+78.7 minutes; P<.001), while controls exhibited minimal and nonsignificant differences. For TST, smartphone underestimates sleep compared to both bed sensors (-0.71 minutes; P<.001) and actigraphs (-1.35 minutes; P<.001). Across devices, TST correlations remained low, spanning r=0.12 (P=.58) to r=0.55 (P=.10) in controls and r=0.17 (P=.19) to r=0.43 (P=.002) in patients. Mixed models showed that older age was linked to better sleep offset alignment between actigraphy and bed sensors (β=-0.02, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.00; P=.048), as well as smartphone and bed sensor (β=-0.03, 95% CI -0.06 to 0.00; P=.03). Patients with bipolar/borderline personality disorder showed lower TST alignment, and alignment between smartphone and bed sensor was worse in females (β=-1.03, 95% CI -1.74 to -0.33, P=.004). Longer daylight duration was also associated with improved alignment in sleep offset and TST.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of using actigraphy, smartphone data, and bed sensors for sleep tracking in naturalistic settings with patients. It highlights measurement biases across devices, the impact of seasonal variations on sleep research in unique geographical regions like Finland, and key demographic factors influencing sleep measurement discrepancies.

PMID:41380148 | DOI:10.2196/82465

J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2025 Dec 10;9(12). doi: 10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-25-00037. eCollection 2025 Dec 1.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Interspinous process devices (IPDs) are a lesser invasive treatment option for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The utility of IPDs has been debated, and no recent, large-scale representative database studies have examined utilization and revision surgery trends of IPDs.

METHODS: Patients with LSS undergoing IPD placement were identified from the 2017-2022 M170Ortho PearlDiver Database and stratified by direct lumbar decompression usage and levels treated. Yearly IPD utilization of the study populations was tracked, and notable changes in usage were identified. Provider specialties placing IPDs were assessed. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses followed 3-year subsequent lumbar operation rates.

RESULTS: A total of 10,422 patients with LSS undergoing IPD placements were identified, with a significant utilization increase from 2017 to 2020 (P = 0.027) and decrease from 2020 to 2022 (P = 0.039). These were done without direct decompression for 6183 (59.3%) and with direct decompression for 4239 (40.7%), with greater proportion performed without decompression over the years (P = 0.032). One-level procedures were 6,723 (64.5%) and two-level procedures were 3,699 (35.5%), with similar proportions over the years. Orthopaedic/neurologic surgeon utilization decreased, with pain specialists becoming the predominant providers using IPDs. Overall 3-year revision surgery rate was 12.0%, and no differences existed in revision surgery rates by decompression usage (P = 0.2) or levels treated (P = 0.3).

DISCUSSION: This study is first to report on the notable IPD utilization decrease from 2020 to 2022 after strong adoption from 2017 to 2020. This aligned with an increasing proportion placed without decompression and by pain specialists, with no revision surgery rate differences. Although the reason for this change over time is unclear, this study reports shifting physician practices with IPDs.

PMID:41380147 | DOI:10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-25-00037

Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2025 Dec 10. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000005591. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective single-center cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the predictive performance of the International Spine Study Group (ISSG) – Surgical Invasiveness Index (SII) and the European Spine Study Group (ESSG) – Adult Deformity Surgery Complexity Index (ADSCI) for outcomes after adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In 2018, the ISSG and ESSG developed their surgical complexity indices specific to surgical treatment of ASD. However, no study has compared these two indices against one another, hindering surgeon decision-making.

METHODS: A retrospective single-center study of patients who underwent ASD surgery with complete baseline and two-year follow-up data were assessed via the ISSG-SII and the ESSG-ADSCI. The primary outcome measure was a composite binary outcome of any postoperative surgical or medical complications. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time, length of stay (LOS), intraoperative complications, reoperations, and specific complications. We used multivariable logistic and linear regression to compare indices.

RESULTS: A total of 586 patients who underwent surgery for ASD (mean age: 57.6 y; 76.5% female; BMI: 27.1 kg/m²; mean ISSG-SII score: 94.7±36.4; mean ESSG-ADSCI score: 21.9±6.6) met inclusion criteria. After controlling for age, gender, body mass index, and Charlson Comorbidity Index, the ISSG-SII (aOR: 1.007; P=0.019) and the ESSG-ADSCI (aOR: 1.031; P=0.046) were statistically significant but weak predictors of any surgical or medical complication. Similar weak results were observed for EBL, operative time, and LOS were seen (all unstandardized ß<0.300). Similar poor performance was seen for intraoperative complications, mechanical complications, reoperation, distal junctional kyphosis, coronal imbalance, sagittal imbalance, or pseudoarthrosis.

DISCUSSION: ISSG-SII and ESSG-ADSCI demonstrated comparable but limited predictive ability across multiple surgical and postoperative outcomes among patients who underwent ASD surgery. While the results support practical utility, independent calibration is necessary prior to clinical application.

PMID:41380141 | DOI:10.1097/BRS.0000000000005591

N Z Med J. 2025 Dec 12;138(1627):42-54. doi: 10.26635/6965.7132.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Despite dramatic declines in coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence in Aotearoa New Zealand over more than 50 years, the burden of CHD is still inequitable, particularly for Māori and Pacific peoples. We studied recent trends in first hospitalisations for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) by ethnicity.

METHODS: All first ACS hospitalisations (2005-2019) were identified from national administrative datasets. Population denominators were constructed using multiple linked national data sources. Trends in rates of incident ACS and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were analysed for younger (20-59 years) and older (60-84 years) patients.

RESULTS: The ACS cohort (n=69,161) comprised 74.7% European, 14.2% Māori, 6.1% Pacific peoples, 2.8% Indian and 2.2% non-Indian Asian peoples. For younger patients, annual ACS incidence initially decreased in all ethnic groups but plateaued between 2013 and 2015 for Māori, non-Indian Asians and Europeans; the decline was minimal for Pacific peoples across the time period. In older patients ACS incidence initially fell for all groups, but plateaued for Māori from 2015, and slowed after 2014 for Europeans. IRRs, compared with Europeans, increased between 2005 and 2019 for younger Māori (IRR 1.5 to 2.25, p=0.017) and Pacific peoples (IRR 1.25 to 1.5, p<0.001), and for older Māori (IRR 1.35 to 1.6, p=0.006) and Pacific peoples (IRR 1.0 to 1.6, p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: Rates of decline in ACS incidence have stalled or slowed for most younger ethnic groups, and for older Māori and Europeans. The differential rate of change between ethnic groups has resulted in increasing inequity for Māori and Pacific peoples across the age range.

PMID:41380123 | DOI:10.26635/6965.7132

N Z Med J. 2025 Dec 12;138(1627):36-41. doi: 10.26635/6965.7126.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To quantify the current state of the cardiology specialist workforce in Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora.

METHODS: The Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand sent a survey to all Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora cardiology departments in 2024, requesting information on specialist cardiac staff. Population information was obtained from Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora. International comparisons were obtained by website search.

RESULTS: Of 154 Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora-employed cardiologists, 119 (77%) were male, and 113 (73%) received cardiology training in New Zealand. Over half were aged >50, 35% >55, including 18% >60 years. Time in current position was 12±9 years and the vacancy rate was 14%. The current ratio of persons per cardiologist is 35,000. In the five districts with the highest proportion of Māori and Pacific peoples, this ratio exceeds the national average: Tairāwhiti 54,000; Counties Manukau 38,000; Lakes 61,000; Northland 52,000; Hawke’s Bay 47,000. For cities with cardiac surgery the ratio is 32,000 and without is 46,000. International ratios include: United States of America (USA) 15,000; Canada 25,000; United Kingdom (UK) 40,000 and Australia 25,000 persons per cardiologist.

CONCLUSIONS: Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora has an experienced but ageing cardiologist workforce, with many vacancies. Districts with higher Māori/Pacific populations have fewer cardiologists per capita than the national average of 1:35,000, which is similar to the UK, but less than the USA, Australia and Canada.

PMID:41380122 | DOI:10.26635/6965.7126

JMIR Med Inform. 2025 Dec 11;13:e77891. doi: 10.2196/77891.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Acute care use (ACU) represents a major economic burden in oncology, which can ideally be prevented. Existing models effectively predict such events.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantify the cost savings achieved by implementing a model to predict ACU in oncology patients undergoing systemic therapy.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients with cancer at an academic medical center from 2010 to 2022. We included patients who received systemic therapy and identified ACU events occurring after treatment initiation, excluding those with known death dates within the study period. Data on ACU-related expenses were gathered from Medicare claims and mapped to service codes in electronic health records, yielding average daily costs for each patient over 180 days following the start of therapy. The exposure was an ACU event.

RESULTS: The main outcome was the average daily cost per patient at the end of the first 180 days of systemic therapy. We observed that expense accumulation flattened earlier and more rapidly among non-ACU patients. This study included 20,556 patients, of whom 3820 (18.58%) experienced at least 1 ACU. The average daily cost per patient for those with and without ACU was US $94.62 (SD US $72.54; 95% CI US $92.32-$96.92) and US $53.28 (SD US $59.92; 95% CI US $52.37-$54.19), respectively. The average total cost per ACU and non-ACU patient was US $17,031.92 (SD US $13,056.63; 95% CI US $16,616.74-$17,445.09) and US $9591.06 (SD US $10,785.83; 95% CI US $9427.64-$9754.48), respectively. To estimate the long-term financial impact of deploying the predictive model, we conducted a cost-benefit analysis based on an annual cohort size of 2177 patients. In the first year alone, the model yielded projected savings of US $910,000. By year 6, projected savings grew to US $9.46 million annually. The cumulative avoided costs over a 6-year deployment period totaled approximately US $31.11 million. These estimates compared the baseline cost model to the intervention model assuming a prevention rate of 35% for preventable ACU events and an average ACU cost of US $17,031.92 (SD US $13,037).

CONCLUSIONS: Predictive analytics can significantly reduce costs associated with ACU events, enhancing economic efficiency in cancer care. Further research is needed to explore potential health benefits.

PMID:41380118 | DOI:10.2196/77891

Blood Adv. 2025 Dec 11:bloodadvances.2025018527. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2025018527. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The benefit of rituximab maintenance after first-line (1L) bendamustine and rituximab (BR) in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) remains uncertain, with inconsistent results from the phase 2 MAINTAIN trial and several retrospective studies. We conducted a large retrospective study at 27 US and Canadian academic centers to examine the benefit of rituximab maintenance after BR. A total of 911 patients received 1L BR between 2010-2020, and 703 had an objective response and no evidence of disease progression at the 3-month post-BR landmark. Among those, 394 (56%) received rituximab maintenance and 309 (44%) did not, with largely similar baseline patient and disease characteristics. In the landmark analysis, rituximab maintenance was associated with improved event-free survival (EFS, median 49.9 vs 29.7 months, P < 0.001) as well as overall survival (OS, median 109.5 vs 74.2 months, P < 0.001). The EFS and OS benefits were observed across most of the subgroups. EFS and OS differences were statistically significant in those who achieved a complete response to 1L BR (n=590; median EFS 62.7 vs 31.1 months, P < 0.001; median OS 136.1 vs 75.3 months, P < 0.001), but the analysis in those who achieved a partial response to 1L BR was limited by the small sample size. These results provide additional evidence for the survival benefit of rituximab maintenance after BR in MCL and support its use in clinical trial design and routine practice.

PMID:41380101 | DOI:10.1182/bloodadvances.2025018527

Interact J Med Res. 2025 Dec 11;14:e65538. doi: 10.2196/65538.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Digital interventions for obesity have demonstrated efficacy in obesity prevention and management. The emergence of smartphones and ubiquitous apps such as WeChat represents potential modality to enhance the reach, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of such interventions. By the end of the first quarter of 2024, WeChat had approximately 1.36 billion monthly active users, accounting for 96.5% of China’s population. The use of this platform for obesity interventions has been validated in multiple Chinese trials, most published in Chinese language journals.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to synthesize the existing evidence on obesity interventions delivered through WeChat to generate implications for future intervention design and development, thereby reaching an international audience.

METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure using search terms including “WeChat,” “obesity,” “weight,” “BMI,” “waist circumference,” “hip circumference,” “waist-to-hip ratio,” “body fat,” “skin fold thickness,” and these Chinese equivalents “weixin,” “feipang,” “tizhong,” “tizhongzhishu,” “yaowei,” “tunwei,” “yaotunbi,” “tizhi,” and “pizhehoudu.” We included only original research studies, theses, or dissertations with measurable outcomes that used WeChat functions as intervention strategies. Study quality was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Quality Assessment Tool, with specific tools selected based on study design. Descriptive statistics were applied, with categorical variables summarized as frequencies and percentages (n, %) to report study distribution.

RESULTS: Our scoping review based on PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure identified 665 initial records, among which 43 studies met eligibility criteria and were included for data extraction to characterize intervention details. Results indicated effectiveness in 86.0% (37/43) of studies, with WeChat-assisted obesity interventions achieving significant short- and long-term weight loss measured by objective outcomes (body weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body fat percentage). However, formative research informing intervention design was insufficient. Common methodological limitations included lack of randomization and blinding (42/43, 97.7%) and unreported intervention compliance metrics (39/43, 92.0%). Functionally, interventions primarily used “WeChat group” and “Official Account”-public accounts that provide health education, diet or physical activity logging, and other features.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, WeChat represents a promising platform for obesity interventions; however, current apps fail to leverage its full features (eg, online payment and live streaming). Key limitations include methodological heterogeneity and cultural specificity, which were addressed through narrative synthesis stratified by study types. Future research should incorporate the formative phase and use more rigorous methodologies such as randomized controlled trials to optimize intervention design and delivery via this modality.

PMID:41380084 | DOI:10.2196/65538

West J Emerg Med. 2025 Oct 9;26(6):1702-1709. doi: 10.5811/westjem.29333.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Firearm injuries have become increasingly more common in the pediatric population; however, there is a paucity of literature examining the management of these pediatric firearm-related injuries (FRI) specifically as they affect the upper extremity. This study identifies demographic and environmental risk factors in pediatric upper extremity FRIs and evaluates the severity of injury, concomitant injuries, and rates of surgical intervention in pediatric patients treated at a Level I pediatric trauma center over 20 years.

METHODS: We completed a retrospective analysis on 540 patients <18 years of age with FRIs at a single institution from 2001 – 2020. Of these, 72 (13%) had FRIs involving the upper extremity. The patients were stratified into groups based on whether they had received operative intervention or a bedside procedure for their injury and on their year of presentation between two decades (2001 – 2010 vs. 2011 – 2020). We obtained upper extremity injury-specific variables along with hospital demographics. The primary outcomes in this study included hospital length of stay, number of bullet wounds, motor and sensory deficits, and amputation.

RESULTS: In the last 10 years, the rate of upper extremity FRIs observed in the pediatric population has increased by 380% at our institution (15 vs. 57, P < .001). After 2010, cases were more likely to present with an increased number of gunshot wounds per patient (1.14 vs. 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.94 – 0.24, P = .03) but were less likely to require admission to the intensive care unit (19% vs. 67%, P < .001). When stratifying by intervention, both the operative intervention and bedside procedure groups had a similar number of gunshot wounds (1.86 vs 1.76, 95% CI -0.52 – 0.43, P = .86). The operative intervention group was more likely to have had a soft tissue injury (68% vs. 35%, P = .005) and motor deficit at follow-up (45% vs.15%, P =.02). Patients in the operative intervention group had longer lengths of stay (9.66 vs. 2.25 days, 95% CI -1.16 – -0.21, P < .01) and more morbid injuries despite similar patient demographics.

CONCLUSION: In the last decade, an increased frequency of pediatric upper extremity firearm-related injuries was noted despite a stagnant state population. Emphasis should continue to be placed on education and improving firearm safety in settings in which children are present.

PMID:41380079 | DOI:10.5811/westjem.29333