(1) Background: Developing cultural competence and reflective communication skills remains a challenge in nursing education. Traditional teaching methods often provide limited opportunities for safe practice of culturally sensitive interactions in emotionally complex situations. Artificial intelligence (AI)–based patient simulations may offer a scalable approach to experiential and reflective learning. (2) Aim: This study explored the educational potential of AI-based patient simulations in supporting nursing students’ self-assessed cultural competence, reflective awareness, and communication confidence. (3) Methods: A convergent mixed-methods pre–post study was conducted among 24 s-cycle nursing students. Participants engaged in individual AI-based patient simulations with simulated patients representing diverse cultural contexts. Quantitative data were collected using an exploratory cultural competence self-assessment scale administered before and after the simulation. Qualitative data included post-simulation reflection forms and AI-student interaction transcripts, analysed using inductive thematic analysis. (4) Results: A statistically significant increase in overall self-assessed cultural competence was observed (Wilcoxon signed-rank test: Z = 4.05, p < 0.001, r = 0.59), with the greatest improvements in communication adaptability and perceived communication sufficiency. Qualitative findings indicated an emotional shift from uncertainty to engagement, heightened awareness of cultural complexity, reflective reassessment of assumptions, and high perceived educational value of AI simulations. (5) Conclusions: AI-based patient simulations represent a promising pedagogical tool for fostering reflective and communication-oriented learning in culturally complex nursing contexts. Their primary value lies in supporting experiential learning, emotional engagement, and the development of cultural humility, suggesting their potential role as a complementary educational strategy in advanced nursing education.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus that contributes substantially to chronic kidney failure and increased cardiovascular risk. Beyond progressive deterioration of renal function, DKD is associated with disturbances in endocrine and vascular regulation. Among these, alterations in vitamin D homeostasis and blood pressure (BP) control represent clinically relevant, yet incompletely integrated aspects of DKD pathophysiology. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on the multidirectional relationships between DKD, vitamin D deficiency, and arterial hypertension (AH). Attention is given to renal mechanisms responsible for reduced vitamin D availability in DKD, including proteinuria-related loss of vitamin D-binding proteins, impaired proximal tubular reabsorption, decreased renal activation of vitamin D, and hormonal regulators such as fibroblast growth factor-23. It further discusses how insufficient vitamin D signaling may influence renal and vascular pathways involved in BP regulation. Mechanistic links between vitamin D deficiency and AH in DKD are discussed, with emphasis on maladaptive activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), persistent inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and insulin resistance. These interdependent processes promote both renal injury progression and sustained elevations in BP, forming a self-reinforcing pathogenic loop. Finally, available data on vitamin D-based therapeutic strategies in DKD are reviewed, including native vitamin D supplementation, active vitamin D metabolites, and vitamin D receptor agonists. Although experimental and observational studies suggest potential nephroprotective and vasculoprotective effects, evidence from randomized clinical trials remains heterogeneous. Further well-designed prospective studies are required to clarify the clinical utility of vitamin D interventions in patients with DKD and coexisting AH.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) apps can innovatively diagnose, prevent, and treat many diseases. The increasing use of mHealth apps necessitates an appropriate assessment standard. Objective: This study aimed to translate the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) into Polish, followed by validation, cultural adaptation, and examination of its reliability and validity. Methods: The Polish version of uMARS was adapted, translated, and validated based on the free STOP COVID ProteGO Safe app available for Android and iOS platforms. A total of 117 participants rated the app using the translated scale and rerated it 1 week later Results: The conceptual equivalence of all items and subscales of the original uMARS and its Polish version was confirmed. The translated uMARS scale exhibited high reliability (Cronbach α=0.95). The perceived test-retest reliability and total influence score were acceptable, with intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.59 and 0.65, respectively Conclusions: The translated scale matched the reliability of the original scale. It can help users choose the best mHealth apps available in Poland and report their quality. The Polish version of uMARS was cross-culturally validated and was found to be as reliable as the original uMARS. The translated and validated uMARS tool can be used to evaluate mHealth apps in various aspects. App developers can reliably assess app components and determine areas that require further improvement and development to deliver higher-quality apps. The Polish version of the uMARS can become a standard tool for evaluating the quality of mHealth apps in Poland.

Background: The rapid expansion of telemedicine has increased the relevance of teleconsultations in everyday clinical practice. However, the manner in which teleconsultation competencies are conceptualized, taught, and assessed in undergraduate medical education remains unclear. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using a transparent methodology to identify and select studies. Several bibliographic databases were searched using predefined eligibility criteria, focusing on educational interventions that specifically targeted teleconsultation competencies among undergraduate medical students. The selection process emphasized conceptual clarity, curricular intent, and the inclusion of empirically reported educational outcomes. The eligibility criteria were intentionally designed to identify studies that explicitly conceptualized teleconsultation as a distinct undergraduate clinical competency. Results: The search process yielded 199 records. After screening and comprehensive full-text evaluation, only one study explicitly conceptualized teleconsultation as a distinct undergraduate clinical competency and met all predefined eligibility criteria. This study details a structured educational intervention that frames teleconsultation as a distinct clinical competency. The outcomes concerning communication, clinical reasoning in virtual environments, technical aspects of teleconsultation, and components of remote physical examination were reported. Conclusions: The principal finding was the identification of substantial evidence gaps in the conceptualization, assessment, and longitudinal teaching of teleconsultation competencies. Current evidence regarding the instruction of teleconsultation competencies in undergraduate medical education is limited. The prevailing literature addresses telemedicine primarily as a mode of care delivery rather than emphasizing teleconsultation as a distinct clinical skill. These observations highlight a discrepancy between contemporary clinical practice and undergraduate training, emphasizing the need for well-defined educational frameworks that incorporate teleconsultation competencies.

BACKGROUND Mobile health (mHealth) apps can innovatively diagnose, prevent, and treat many diseases. The increasing use of mHealth apps necessitates an appropriate assessment standard. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to translate the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS) into Polish, followed by validation, cultural adaptation, and examination of its reliability and validity. METHODS The Polish version of uMARS was adapted, translated, and validated based on the free STOP COVID ProteGO Safe app available for Android and iOS platforms. A total of 117 participants rated the app using the translated scale and rerated it 1 week later RESULTS The conceptual equivalence of all items and subscales of the original uMARS and its Polish version was confirmed. The translated uMARS scale exhibited high reliability (Cronbach α=0.95). The perceived test-retest reliability and total influence score were acceptable, with intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.59 and 0.65, respectively CONCLUSIONS The translated scale matched the reliability of the original scale. It can help users choose the best mHealth apps available in Poland and report their quality. The Polish version of uMARS was cross-culturally validated and was found to be as reliable as the original uMARS. The translated and validated uMARS tool can be used to evaluate mHealth apps in various aspects. App developers can reliably assess app components and determine areas that require further improvement and development to deliver higher-quality apps. The Polish version of the uMARS can become a standard tool for evaluating the quality of mHealth apps in Poland.