AIMS:This overview aims to provide high-quality evidence synthesis of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) among people living with dementia. BACKGROUND:Dementia has become the seventh leading cause of death in the world. Unfortunately, currently effective pharmacological interventions remain elusive. As a non-pharmacological treatment, AAI is gaining more attention while the effectiveness of AAI for people living with dementia remains unclear. METHODS:EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, CNKI, VIP, CBM and Wanfang databases were searched from inception to March 2026. The AMSTAR2 was used to assess the methodological quality of the included reviews. Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 16 for the original studies identified from the included reviews. Evidence quality of main outcomes was assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. RESULTS:Sixteen systematic reviews were included in the overview. A significant improvement was found in depression among dementia patients, but not in agitation, quality of life (QOL), cognition and activities of daily living (ADL). CONCLUSIONS:There is moderate evidence that AAI has positive effects on depression for people living with dementia. Despite searches, no sufficient evidence has been found to substantiate the positive effects of AAI on other outcomes in people living with dementia. Due to the small number of studies, small sample sizes and significant heterogeneity, more randomised controlled trials with large samples are needed.

Background and Aims Aerobic exercise potentially mitigates frailty, yet its definitive efficacy and optimal prescription parameters remain unclear. This study aimed to quantify the efficacy and dose-response relationship of aerobic exercise on frailty and health outcomes. Methods We conducted a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials involving adults ≥60 years with frailty or pre-frailty (searched through March 2026). Heterogeneous exercise protocols were standardized to metabolic equivalent (MET)-minutes/week. We employed random-effects models for efficacy, restricted cubic splines to model non-linear dose-response associations, and the GRADE framework to evaluate the certainty of evidence. Results Forty-four studies (n=4,011) were included. Aerobic exercise significantly improved frailty status (Hedges’ g = 0.34), depressive symptoms (Hedges’ g = 0.37), muscle strength (Hedges’ g = 0.21), cognitive function (Hedges’ g = 0.67), quality of life (Hedges’ g = 0.57), and lower-limb function(Hedges’ g = 0.29 for TUGT; Hedges’ g = 0.40 for 30CST) compared with usual care. Subgroup analyses showed consistent efficacy across modalities (e.g., Tai Chi, dance, walking) with no single superior type. Conclusions Available evidence suggests that aerobic exercise may improve frailty status and several functional and psychosocial outcomes in frail or pre-frail older adults. The dose-response findings support initiating achievable low-to-moderate volumes of aerobic exercise; however, between-study heterogeneity and sparse data at higher doses preclude firm conclusions regarding an optimal dose. Exercise prescriptions should therefore be individualized according to participants’ tolerance, preferences, and clinical status. Registration PROSPERO CRD420251152761.

BACKGROUND:As populations age worldwide, primary health care systems face increasing challenges in addressing the complex health and social needs of older adults. Integrated care offers a promising approach to promote healthy ageing by providing coordinated, person-centred services across care settings. However, there is a lack of synthesised evidence on integrated care implementation in primary health care, which limits our understanding of its full potential. OBJECTIVE:To map how integrated care for older adults has been implemented in primary health care worldwide, identify the most scalable components, and highlight practice and policy implications for strengthening primary health care systems. METHODS:We conducted a scoping review to synthesise evidence on the implementation and outcomes of integrated care interventions for older adults in primary health care settings. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL for studies published in the past ten years. Eligible studies included interventional designs targeting individuals aged ≥60 years and implemented integrated care as defined by the WHO. Data were extracted and analysed using narrative synthesis and frequency analysis. RESULTS:A total of 181 studies across 26 countries were included. Most interventions were community- or primary health care-based, multidisciplinary (91%), and involved cross-sectoral integration (47%). Core components included care coordination/personalised care planning (67%), physical activity (40%), health education (38%), and psychosocial support (29%). Overall, 88% of studies reported positive outcomes, most often at the patient level. However, implementation outcomes such as acceptability (21%), feasibility (19%), and fidelity (9%) were inconsistently assessed. Evidence was dominated by high-income settings, with limited representation from low- and middle-income countries. CONCLUSIONS:Integrated care in primary health care shows broad potential to improve outcomes for older adults, particularly when built around care coordination, team-based delivery, and person-centred planning. Scalable models are those that use existing primary health care resources, integrate community health workers, and employ low-cost digital tools. Yet critical gaps remain in implementation fidelity, sustainability, and equity, especially in resource-limited settings. Embedding integrated care within quality improvement cycles can accelerate adoption and adaptation, offering a pathway for primary health care systems worldwide to promote healthy ageing.

OBJECTIVES:To compare the effects of combined exercise and cognitive interventions with those of exercise alone on cognitive function and quality of life in people with Parkinson's disease. METHOD:Six electronic databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to January 2025, in strict accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool, and pairwise meta‑analyses were performed to synthesize the extracted data. RESULTS:Fourteen RCTs were included in this meta-analysis. Combined interventions significantly improved global cognitive function compared with exercise alone. Moreover, combined interventions lasting more than 12 weeks offered significant advantages over exercise‑only regimens in terms of global cognition and executive function. Additionally, combined interventions yielded significant beneficial effects on executive function in individuals with Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairment. No statistically significant between-group differences were observed in the domains of attention, memory, or quality of life. CONCLUSION:Combined exercise and cognitive interventions are superior to exercise alone for patients with Parkinson's disease, and their beneficial effects on global cognitive function are not influenced by the specific intervention format.

OBJECTIVES:Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this study aimed to examine multilevel influences on social participation among community-dwelling older adults from the perspectives of older adults and community workers. METHODS:A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. The quantitative component included 641 community-dwelling older adults from five communities in Beijing, China. The qualitative component involved semi-structured interviews with 18 older adults and 14 community workers. Findings were integrated through an SEM-guided joint display and triangulation protocol. RESULTS:Older age, cognitive impairment, impairment of activities of daily living, and poor self-rated health were associated with lower social participation, whereas higher educational attainment, social support, weekly exercise, and active community encouragement were associated with higher participation. Qualitative findings identified 10 subthemes, showing that participation was also linked to interest preferences, family and peer relationships, communication and mobilization, activity design, accessibility, resource support, and policy and institutional conditions. Integrated analysis showed the clearest convergence for health- and function-related influences, while qualitative findings clarified how social support and community encouragement operated in practice. DISCUSSION:Social participation among community-dwelling older adults appears to be associated with interrelated factors across individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. Efforts to support participation in later life may benefit from addressing not only functional vulnerability but also the relational, organizational, and contextual conditions that makes participation feasible in community settings.

BACKGROUND:Health coaching has emerged as a promising intervention to improve health outcomes in older adults. However, its effectiveness has not been comprehensively synthesized. AIM:To evaluate the effectiveness of health coaching interventions on anxiety, depression, quality of life, self-management behavior, and self-efficacy among older adults. METHODS:A systematic search of six English databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, APA PsycInfo, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global) was conducted from inception to October 20, 2024. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using meta-analysis with random or fixed effects. Sensitivity analyses, subgroup analyses, and publication bias tests were also performed. RESULTS:Thirty-five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 20,200 older adults were included in this review. Meta-analysis results indicated that health coaching interventions could significantly improve anxiety (SMD: -0.09; 95% CI: -0.15, -0.04; I2: 0%), quality of life (SMD: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.39; I2: 76%), self-management behaviors (SMD: 1.15; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.86; I2: 95%), and self-efficacy (SMD: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.33; I2: 69%) among older adults, but had no significant effects on depression (SMD: -0.26; 95% CI: -0.64, 0.12; I2: 98%). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION:Health coaching interventions may enhance the well-being of older adults. However, the certainty of the current evidence was generally very low to moderate, and substantial heterogeneity existed across studies. Therefore, these findings should be interpreted with caution. More high-quality RCTs with extended follow-up, as well as analyses of differential effects across demographic information, are needed to provide more robust and generalizable evidence.

BACKGROUND:Health recommender systems offer new opportunities to meet the personalized needs of people with dementia and their caregivers, but evidence on their effectiveness remains limited. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile application-based dementia care intelligent recommender system (DCIRS) among caregivers of people with dementia. METHODS:We conducted a RCT among family caregivers of people with dementia in China. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or a waitlist control group (n = 125 per group). Caregivers in the control group received no intervention during the study period, whereas those in the intervention group received access to a remote, mobile application-based DCIRS. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), week 6 (T1), and week 12 (T2). The outcomes included distress related to care problems, caregiver burden, depressive symptoms, and the occurrence of safety-related events. Generalized estimating equations were used for analysis. RESULTS:The caregivers in intervention group showed significant reductions in distress scores for dressing, personal hygiene, communication, and behavioural and psychological care problems at both the 6th and 12th week assessments. Caregiver burden scores in the intervention group showed a continuous decline from baseline to week 6 (MD = -1.61) and further to week 12 (MD = -3.43) (P < .05). Within-group analyses showed that depressive symptom scores remained largely stable from baseline to week 6 and week 12 in both the intervention and control groups, with no significant pre-post changes detected. A significant between-group difference was found in the total number of safety-related events (P = .037). CONCLUSION:In summary, this RCT showed that the DCIRS may reduce caregivers' distress related to care problems and lessen caregiver burden. Although depressive symptoms did not improve significantly, further research is needed to assess long-term effects and clarify the mechanisms underlying remote, personalized interventions such as the DCIRS. REGISTRATION:The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2200066087).

Successful ageing involves social engagement, psychological well-being, cognitive health and functional capacity. Social participation may be a modifiable community context for preserving these resources, but pathways linking participation to depressive symptoms remain insufficiently characterized. To examine direct and indirect associations between social participation and depressive symptoms through social support, cognitive impairment and functional impairment in Chinese community-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 302 adults aged 61–90 years in Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi, China. Structured questionnaires assessed social participation, depressive symptoms, social support, cognitive impairment and functional impairment. Structural equation modeling tested theory-informed direct and indirect associations; bias-corrected bootstrap resampling with 5,000 samples estimated 95

This article describes the cross‐cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the gains associated with caregiving (GAC) scale. This tool is designed to measure self‐reported gains experienced by caregivers of people with dementia. The adaptation process entailed back‐translation and validation by a committee of experts. Content validity was analyzed using the content validity coefficient, and construct validity was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability of the scale was evaluated by using Cronbach’s α coefficient and the test–retest reliability coefficient. With a cross‐sectional study design, we invited caregivers of people with dementia to complete the Chinese version of the GAC scale. Factor analysis suggested a four‐factor solution in which all 27 items were retained, accounting for 65.76% of the variance. Cronbach’s α was 0.968, and the test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.886. The Chinese version of the GAC scale appears to be a valid and reliable scale for assessing perceived gains among family caregivers of people with dementia.

BACKGROUND:Social participation is associated with better physical and mental health outcomes for older adults. However, evidence remains fragmented regarding how determinants vary by participation form and activity type. OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to (1) identify determinants (barriers and facilitators) of overall social participation based on Social Ecological Model; (2) compare determinants of formal versus informal participation; and (3) examine activity-type-specific determinant patterns across domains of the Social Ecological Model. METHODS:PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global were searched from inception to February 19, 2026. Methodological quality was appraised using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Quantitative findings were qualitized and integrated with qualitative evidence. Determinants were coded to levels of the Social Ecological Model and synthesized to produce an overall map, formal-informal comparisons, and activity-type-specific patterns. RESULTS:Ninety-nine studies were included (93 quantitative, 5 qualitative, and 1 mixed-methods). A total of 127 determinant items was consolidated into 23 domains across micro, meso, exo, and macro levels. Across studies, better physical health/function and psychological resources were predominantly associated with higher social participation, whereas functional limitations, depression/anxiety, and loneliness were associated with lower participation. Supportive interpersonal networks and community opportunity structures generally facilitated participation, while constrained accessibility/opportunity acted as barriers, and several sociodemographic associations were mixed. Seventeen studies tested interaction terms, indicating cross-level effect modification. Formal participation was more dependent on structural resources and institutional opportunities, whereas informal participation was more sensitive to embedded resources and close relational contexts. A five-dimensional radar chart based on the Social Ecological Model summarized three broad activity-specific patterns across domains of determinant involvement. CONCLUSIONS:Social participation among community-dwelling older adults is a multilevel behavior situated within a broader social ecosystem, with systematic heterogeneity by participation form and activity type. Policies and interventions should adopt multilevel, differentiated strategies grounded in the Social Ecological Model aligned with the dominant constraints of the targeted mode and activity. REGISTRATION:This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251085456).

Introduction Speech emotion recognition (SER), with its non-invasiveness and ease of deployment, offers an innovative solution for geriatric health monitoring. This scoping review aimed to map the evidence on speech emotion recognition, focusing on its application scenarios, core technologies, and key challenges in geriatric healthcare. Methods Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, IEEE Xplore databases were conducted to find studies from the inception to December 2024. Relevant data were extracted from eligible studies. Characteristics of included studies were tabulated, and a narrative synthesis was conducted to address predefined research questions. Results Thirteen studies were included. Geriatric SER was applied or proposed in home and community monitoring, long-term care, mental health assessment, dementia-related contexts, assistive systems, and methodological or benchmark development. Data sources and emotion targets were heterogeneous, including real-world older-adult speech, challenge datasets, acted or media-derived data, robot-mediated interaction data, and clinical or cognition-related datasets. Technical approaches ranged from acoustic feature extraction and conventional machine learning to deep learning, transfer learning, voice-text modelling, and multimodal fusion. Reported performance varied substantially across studies and was difficult to compare because of differences in datasets, emotion categories, modalities, validation strategies, and performance metrics. Common limitations included small or single-source datasets, inconsistent labelling procedures, limited reporting of label reliability, insufficient external validation, and incomplete reproducibility. Conclusion Geriatric SER is an emerging but methodologically heterogeneous field with potential value for non-invasive emotional and mental health monitoring. Future research should prioritize standardized elderly-specific datasets, transparent annotation and reporting protocols, participant-level and external validation, real-world deployment studies, and explainable AI approaches that connect model outputs with clinically meaningful indicators.

BackgroundHealth recommender systems show promise in delivering remote support and improving coping among family caregivers of persons with dementia.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile-based intelligent recommender system for dementia care (DCIRS) in enhancing psychological well-being among family caregivers and to explore the mechanisms underlying its effects.MethodsData from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) were used. Of the 250 eligible participants, 125 caregivers were randomly allocated to the intervention group (receiving DCIRS) and 125 to the waitlist control group. Outcomes, including benefit finding, depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and coping styles, were assessed at baseline (T0), 6 weeks (T1), and 12 weeks (T2). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) was used to evaluate changes over time and between-group differences, while path analysis examined mediation pathways.ResultsAt 12 weeks, the intervention group showed significant within-group improvements in coping, self-efficacy, and benefit finding (all p < 0.05 for group × time interaction). Between-group analyses revealed greater reductions in depressive symptoms at T1 and T2, though the group × time interaction was non-significant (p = 0.393). Path analysis indicated that reduced depressive symptoms were mediated primarily by increased self-efficacy.ConclusionsThis DCIRS demonstrated the potential to reduce depressive symptoms and enhance benefit finding in caregivers of people with dementia. Strengthening self-efficacy and active coping styles should remain a core focus in digital health interventions, providing meaningful guidance to healthcare professionals in developing caregiver support program.

Background Uncertainty in illness is regarded as a source of stress, and tends to have adverse consequences on quality of life among older adults with chronic heart failure (CHF). Objective The purpose of this study was to identify distinct subgroups in uncertainty in illness, and to explore associated factors within the population of older adults with CHF. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling to survey 311 hospitalized older adults with CHF. The Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale, the 14-item Fatigue Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale were administered through self-reported questionnaires. Statistical analyses were conducted using latent profile analysis to precisely categorize participants based on the variable of uncertainty in illness, and multinomial logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with subgroup heterogeneity. Results Participants were classified as four subgroups: overall low uncertainty group (27.3%), moderate uncertainty-inconsistency fluctuations group (43.7%), moderate uncertainty-strong inconsistency group (21.2%) and overall high uncertainty group (7.8%). In comparison to the first subgroup (the overall low uncertainty group), the marital status, educational background, monthly household income, number of comorbidities, fatigue level, and social support were associated with heterogeneity of uncertainty in illness among participants in other three subgroups. Conclusion The findings identified four distinct subgroups characterized by uncertainty in illness among older adults with CHF and revealed the demographic and clinical factors associated with each subgroup. Healthcare professionals should prioritize precise assessments and consider developing tailored interventions to reduce chronic uncertainty in illness among older patients.

BACKGROUND:With an increasing prevalence of frailty among older adults, effective classification and management strategies for frailty have become imperative. Voice biomarkers, offering insights into the overall health status of older adults, hold promise for enhancing the management of this multifaceted geriatric syndrome. OBJECTIVES:This scoping review aims to consolidate existing knowledge regarding the relationship between frailty and voice biomarkers. METHODS:A systematic search was conducted following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses extension for scoping reviews guidelines across multiple databases: PubMed, Embase, Proquest, Scopus, and Web of Science. The results were synthesized through information extraction and are presented in tables. RESULTS:A total of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority (63.6%) employed a cross-sectional design. Voice biomarkers encompassed acoustic parameters, such as the peak/average volume ratio, and linguistic parameters, such as verbal fluency. Nine articles reported significant associations between frailty and acoustic parameters. Three articles included linguistic parameters in their analyses. Only one demonstrated associations between frailty and both acoustic and linguistic parameters. CONCLUSION:Despite the relatively small sample sizes in the included studies, the findings underscore a significant connection between voice biomarkers and frailty among older adults, suggesting the potential utility of vocal characteristics as non-invasive indicators for identifying and managing frailty. Integrating voice biomarkers into routine geriatric assessments could substantially improve the precision and efficiency of frailty management, facilitating personalized healthcare interventions tailored to the needs of older adults.

Background:Irritant dermatitis is a common complication among stoma patients, significantly impacting their quality of life. Early diagnosis is essential, but limited access to healthcare and poor self-management skills often delay treatment. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of two advanced convolutional neural networks (CNNs), ConvNeXt and MobileViT, for the intelligent diagnosis of irritant dermatitis using smartphone-acquired stoma images. Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted, collecting 825 stoma complication images from five tertiary hospitals in China. Data preprocessing techniques such as resampling and enhancement were used to prepare the dataset. The ConvNeXt and MobileViT models were trained and evaluated based on accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores. Optimizers and learning rates were also adjusted to assess model performance. Results:ConvNeXt demonstrated superior performance, achieving an accuracy of 71.4%, precision of 73.6%, recall of 67.1%, and an F1 score of 70.2% with the Adam optimizer and a 0.001 learning rate. MobileViT, despite being more lightweight, did not surpass ConvNeXt, with a maximum accuracy of 64.4%. ConvNeXt excelled in diagnosing irritant dermatitis and normal stoma conditions but showed limitations in recognizing other complications. Conclusion:The ConvNeXt model outperformed MobileViT, indicating that advanced CNNs can effectively assist in the early diagnosis of irritant dermatitis among stoma patients. This could help alleviate the burden on healthcare resources and improve patient outcomes through accessible mobile-based diagnostic tools.

Voice biomarkers have been increasingly applied in disease diagnosis and monitoring because of their non-invasive, low-cost, and easily accessible features. This scoping review aimed to summarize existing evidence on voice biomarkers used in heart failure management and to describe their collection, processing, and analysis methods. Four databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and IEEE Xplore) were searched from inception to January 10, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data using a predesigned form. The review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and the PRISMA-ScR guideline. Nineteen studies published between 2010 and 2023 were included. Voice biomarkers were applied for diagnosis or differential diagnosis (9/19) and for assessing or monitoring disease progression (10/19). Voice/speech (11/19) were the most common biomarkers, typically collected via microphones (6/19), phones (3/19), or applications (3/19). Common processing methods included segmentation (9/19), feature extraction (9/19), denoising (8/19), and resampling (7/19). Most studies (12/19) developed new algorithms for data analysis. Model performance was mainly evaluated by accuracy (10/19), sensitivity (7/19), and specificity (6/19). This review highlights the potential of voice/speech biomarkers in heart failure management. Their non-invasive and accessible nature supports their integration into clinical monitoring. However, standardized procedures for data collection, processing, and analysis should be established through multidisciplinary collaboration to enable reliable clinical application.

BACKGROUND:People living with HIV (PLWH) frequently encounter mental health symptoms. Yet, a notable gap exists regarding the divergence in core mental health symptoms among PLWH across developed and developing regions. This study aims to explore the differences in mental health symptom networks among PLWH in both developed and developing regions. METHODS:A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in China from April 2022 to April 2023. Six designated HIV hospitals enrolled 2436 participants, including 1430 PLWH from developed regions and 1006 PLWH from developing regions. The study assessed 40 mental health symptoms across six dimensions: somatization symptoms, negative affect, cognitive processes, cognitive function, interpersonal communication, and social adaptation among PLWH. RESULTS:The diverse developed regions exhibited varying mental health symptoms among PLWH, particularly concerning their core symptoms. In the developed regions of China, PLWH predominantly experience core symptoms centered around "Sadness," "Anger," and "Distress." In contrast, PLWH from developing regions tends to manifest core symptoms such as "Inability to integrate into society," "Difficulty in managing daily work and study," and "Hostility." CONCLUSIONS:The regional variation in mental health symptoms among PLWH underscores the disparities in their circumstances. This insight is crucial for crafting tailored intervention strategies for urban PLWH. In developed regions, psychological interventions such as catharsis and empathy are integral to clinical practice, while in less developed regions, family support interventions are paramount, given the limited social interactions available to PLWH. REPORTING METHOD:This study was reported according to the STROBE checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION:No patient or public contribution.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the development process of the peer precision-matching and health management mobile platform “Aspark” for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH) and to evaluate its usability. Methods: The study assembled a multidisciplinary research and development team comprising researchers, software engineers, art designers, clinical nursing specialists, HIV peer volunteers, and psychological counselors. The team employed an agile development model to iteratively build the platform. Using the social determinants of health framework and the interpersonal circumplex, we identified 14 matching variables for the mobile platform. A video production team was formed to create peer training videos on health management for PLWH. We integrated relevant tools to provide PLWH with various types of support, including informational, instrumental, emotional, affiliational, and appraisal assistance. From March to May 2024, the research team used convenience sampling to select 130 platform users. It administered an electronic questionnaire based on the System Usability Scale to evaluate the platform’s overall usability. Results: The platform incorporates multiple functional modules, including “Precision Matching,” “Drug Interaction Query,” “Medication Reminder,” “Health Management,” “Mood Diary,” “Community Discussion,” and “Activity Center,” achieving comprehensive coverage across informational, emotional, instrumental, social, and appraisal support. The precision matching module facilitates intelligent pairing between patients and peer volunteers; the health management module allows for the entry of test results and trend analysis; medication reminders and check-in features enhance medication adherence; the mood diary supports emotional recording and expressive writing; while the community module offers functions such as topic discussions, appointment scheduling, and organization of offline activities. Among the 130 valid questionnaires, more than 83 % of users scored above 68 on the System Usability Scale, indicating that the platform demonstrates favourable usability. Conclusions: The “Aspark” platform offers a feasible and promising digital solution for precision matching in HIV peer support and health management, enabling healthcare providers to deliver personalized and continuous health support to patients through its functions. Well-designed clinical trials should be conducted in the future to evaluate the effectiveness of this tool.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:To identify the core supportive care needs of ostomy patients across the postoperative period using network analysis to inform targeted interventions. DESIGN:This cross-sectional study was conducted according to the STROBE guidelines. METHODS:This study included 588 ostomy patients from three tertiary Grade-A hospitals in China between December 2023 and March 2024. Supportive care needs were assessed using an adapted version of the short form of the Supportive Care Needs Survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and network analysis to explore the interconnections and centrality of symptoms across four postoperative periods (< 1, 1-3, 4-6 and > 6 months). RESULTS:Supportive care needs varied significantly across the postoperative period in patients undergoing ostomy. The Stoma Support domain consistently achieved the highest scores across all the stages. Central symptoms differed by period, featuring 'feeling down or depressed' (< 1 month), 'acquiring knowledge of stoma complication management' (1-3 months), 'gaining knowledge of stoma bag prices and extended use' (4-6 months) and 'keeping a positive outlook' (> 6 months). CONCLUSION:Supportive care needs vary significantly across postoperative periods, with a network analysis identifying stage-specific core symptoms. These findings provide the foundation for targeted interventions. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE:Tailored, stage-specific care strategies are crucial for addressing the dynamic needs of ostomy patients. Early psychological support, mid-recovery practical guidance and long-term resilience-building interventions can improve patient outcomes. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION:None.