JMIR Publications released four feature News and Perspectives articles this week, covering digital resurrection technologies, shadow AI in healthcare, the potential for voice to be analyzed for early biosignals of chronic disease, and how a recent FDA approval reflects the growing use of video games in mental health treatment.
Clinicians Turning to Unapproved AI Tools for Workload Support
Staffing shortages and increasing work burdens are pushing many clinicians to save time with AI —even when their workplaces have not approved these tools, reports health writer and ICU nurse Jenna Congdon in " The Rise of Shadow AI in Health Care: What It Means for Patient Care ". "Many clinicians cite lack of approved alternatives as a major driver for shadow AI use," she writes, noting in concert with physician Dr. Cynthia Odogwu and RNs Courtney Mansbridge and Sharonda Davis that organization-approved AI tools may not be chosen with clinicians' workflows in mind. "Rather than simply banning shadow AI use, organizations must seek to understand why clinicians are turning to unauthorized tools before they can successfully replace them with safer alternatives that address clinicians' pain points and meet their needs."
The Machine Learning Tools Detecting Clinical Biomarkers in Patients' Voices
Cliff Dominy covers potential machine learning applications for clinical voice analysis in " More Than a Signature: Voice as a Clinical Biomarker ". Voice biomarker tech—which identifies vocal features that might signal health changes—has the potential to assist in early detection, then monitoring, of neurodegenerative disorders and other chronic conditions, automating and scaling what traditionally could only be done by speech pathologists and neurologists. Other initiatives, writes Dominy, include Luxembourg Institute of Health's Deep Digital Phenotyping Research Unit, which integrates vocal data into digital twins; and the Weizmann Institute's Human Phenotype Project, which has "collected over 7000 voice recordings as part of a deep phenotyping cohort"—the first step in building a universal dataset for standardized clinical use.
Mourning With AI: Griefbots and Digital Legacy
Thanks to nascent AI technologies, mourners can now communicate with digital avatars of their deceased loved ones—but will this help or harm them? Writer and GraveSite EiC Delaney Rebernik investigates the growing digital legacy market in " Is Grief Dead? How Digital Resurrection Technologies Affect Bereavement ". Though griefbots—AI-powered chatbots trained on digital remains, like social media, texts, and photos, to impersonate the deceased—are already on the market, their mental health outcomes are only beginning to be researched, and "scant regulations exist to promote user safety and privacy", writes Rebernik. According to psychologist Dr. Robert Neimeyer, griefbots have the potential for positive results if used in conjunction with other grief modalities; meanwhile, bioethicist and medical anthropologist Dr. Craig Klugman worries that the technology could be leveraged for precision marketing or contribute to prolonged grief disorder.
Prescription Video Games For Mental Health
Benedette Cuffari discusses a recent FDA approval of a video game for ADHD treatment in " Beyond Entertainment: How Therapeutic Video Games Are Becoming Prescription Medicine for Mental Health ". EndeavorRX, which can now be prescribed for children aged 8-17, is "designed to challenge users' ability to pay attention to multiple things at once, improving their ability to focus and filter out distractions," and was shown to improve attention in 73% of pediatric patients. Other research, reports Cuffari, points to the therapeutic benefit of certain commercial games—some of which are already being implemented in clinical practice, according to psychologist Dr. Megan Connell—and developments in AI and VR technology may soon allow for increased personalization and immersion in serious games.
About JMIR Publications News and Perspectives
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research. The News and Perspectives section is the newest addition to its portfolio, established to bring the rigor and integrity of academic publishing to scientific journalism. The section features well-researched, expert-driven content from the Scientific News Editor, Kayleigh-Ann Clegg, PhD, and a network of specialist JMIR Publications Correspondents to keep the digital health community informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.
About JMIR Publications
JMIR Publications is a leading open access publisher of digital health research and a champion of open science. With a focus on author advocacy and research amplification, JMIR Publications partners with researchers to advance their careers and maximize the impact of their work. As a technology organization with publishing at its core, we provide innovative tools and resources that go beyond traditional publishing, supporting researchers at every step of the dissemination process. Our portfolio features a range of peer-reviewed journals, including the renowned Journal of Medical Internet Research.
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