Mobile health applications for managing atrial fibrillation for healthcare professionals and patients: a systematic review

Abstract Aims A plethora of mobile health applications (m-health apps) to support healthcare are available for both patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) but content and quality vary considerably and few have undergone formal assessment. The aim is to systematically review the literature on m-health apps for managing atrial fibrillation (AF) that examine the impact on knowledge of AF, patient and HCP behaviour, patients’ quality-of-life, and user engagement. Methods and results MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsychInfo were searched from 1 January 2005 to 5 September 2019, with hand-searching of clinical trial registers and grey literature. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported changes in any of the following: (i) knowledge of AF; (ii) provider behaviour (e.g. guideline adherence); (iii) patient behaviour (e.g. medication adherence); (iv) patient quality-of-life; and (v) user engagement. Two reviewers independently assessed articles for eligibility. A narrative review was undertaken as included studies varied widely in their design, interventions, comparators, and outcomes. Seven studies were included; six m-health apps aimed at patients and one at HCPs. Mobile health apps ranged widely in design, features, and method of delivery. Four studies reported patient knowledge of AF; three demonstrated significant knowledge improvement post-intervention or compared to usual care. One study reported greater HCP adherence to oral anticoagulation guidelines after m-health app implementation. Two studies reported on patient medication adherence and quality-of-life; both showed improved quality-of-life post-intervention but only one observed increased adherence. Regarding user engagement, five studies reported patient perspectives on usability, three on acceptability, and one on feasibility; overall all m-health apps were rated positively. Conclusion Mobile health apps demonstrate improvements in patient knowledge, behaviour, and quality of life. Studies formally evaluating the impact of m-health on HCP behaviour are scarce and larger-scale studies with representative patient cohorts, appropriate comparators, and longer-term assessment of the impact of m-health apps are warranted.

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Relationships between the Older Adult’s Cognitive Decline and Quality of Life: The Mediating Role of the Assistive Mobile Health Applications

International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) ◽

10.3991/ijim.v13i10.11288 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 42

Author(s):

Murtaja Ali Saare ◽

Azham Hussain ◽

Wong Seng Yue

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Older Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Mobile Health Applications ◽

Conceptual Explanation ◽

Health Applications

This article examines the link between the older adult’s cognitive decline, and Assistive Mobile Health Applications in terms of quality of life as researcher has found scarcity in explaining the mediating role of assistive mobile health applications towards the quality of life of older adults with cognitive decline. Researchers have identified the importance of using assistive mobile health applications in connection of the older adult’s cognitive decline. However, it remained unaddressed in the explaining the mediating role of assistive mobile health application. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an insight that the adoption of assistive m-health applications will provide this population with potential solution to their challenging aging life, hence, enhancing their quality of life. In addition, this paper is only a conceptual explanation, as it aims to identify the possible reasons that influence their Smartphone adoption. Factors were identified using a systematic literature review on relevant peer reviewed papers. The study summarized the empirical evidences which were used to support the conceptual explanation. It is expected that this work will lead towards the empirical findings on the explanation of the mediating role of the assistive mobile health applications to address the relationship of older adult’s cognitive decline and quality of life. This paper providesdirections for future studies in improving the quality of life of older adults.

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Patient Self-Management of Asthma Using Mobile Health Applications: A Systematic Review of the Functionalities and Effects

Applied Clinical Informatics ◽

10.4338/aci-2017-07-r-0116 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 08 (04) ◽

pp. 1068-1081 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Mehrdad Farzandipour ◽

Ehsan Nabovati ◽

Reihane Sharif ◽

Marzieh Arani ◽

Shima Anvari

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Self Management ◽

Cochrane Central Register ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Mobile Health Applications ◽

Mhealth Apps ◽

Health Applications

Objective The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence regarding the effects of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) for self-management outcomes in patients with asthma and to assess the functionalities of effective interventions. Methods We systematically searched Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included English-language studies that evaluated the effects of smartphone or tablet computer apps on self-management outcomes in asthmatic patients. The characteristics of these studies, effects of interventions, and features of mHealth apps were extracted. Results A total of 10 studies met all the inclusion criteria. Outcomes that were assessed in the included studies were categorized into three groups (clinical, patient-reported, and economic). mHealth apps improved asthma control (five studies) and lung function (two studies) from the clinical outcomes. From the patient-reported outcomes, quality of life (three studies) was statistically significantly improved, while there was no significant impact on self-efficacy scores (two studies). Effects on economic outcomes were equivocal, so that the number of visits (in two studies) and admission and hospitalization-relevant outcomes (in one study) statistically significantly improved; and in four other studies, these outcomes did not improve significantly. mHealth apps features were categorized into seven categories (inform, instruct, record, display, guide, remind/alert, and communicate). Eight of the 10 mHealth apps included more than one functionality. Nearly all interventions had the functionality of recording user-entered data and half of them had the functionality of providing educational information and reminders to patients. Conclusion Multifunctional mHealth apps have good potential in the control of asthma and in improving the quality of life in such patients compared with traditional interventions. Further studies are needed to identify the effectiveness of these interventions on outcomes related to medication adherence and costs.

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The prevalence and sociodemographic predictors of mobile health applications ownership among cancer survivors.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.38.15_suppl.e24046 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e24046-e24046

Author(s):

Gideon T Dosunmu ◽

Kobina Kwantsin Hagan ◽

Chike Udoye ◽

Moh'd M. Khushman

Keyword(s):

Cancer Survivors ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Employment Status ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Health Apps ◽

Sociodemographic Predictors ◽

Mobile Health Applications ◽

Mobile Health Apps ◽

Growing Population ◽

Health Applications

e24046 Background: The transition of cancer patients from patients to survivors is challenging. Cancer survivors often experience chronic physical, social and mental health needs which remain largely unmet. Due to the growing population of cancer survivors and limited resources available to address their needs, mobile health applications (apps) have emerged to help cancer patients in assuming their new role as survivors. Here, we explored the prevalence and sociodemographic predictors of mobile health apps ownership among Cancer Survivors in the United States using a nationally representative sample. Methods: Data from cycles 1 (2017) and 2 (2018) of the 5th edition of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5) was reviewed. Descriptive statistics was used to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics and the prevalence of mobile health apps ownership among cancer survivors. Univariate logistic regression models were used to explore the relationship between sociodemographic predictors and mobile health apps ownership. Results: We identified 1,097 (weighted estimate of 44,666,781) individuals who self-reported having been diagnosed with cancer in the . Of these, 57.39% were females, 79% were whites, 47.18% had 2 or more medical comorbidities, 63.7% were unemployed and about 50% were aged 65 or more. Prevalence of mobile health apps ownership was 44.82%. Among all the sociodemographic variables; educational level (p = 0.015), income (p = 0.014) and employment status (p < 0.005) were predictors of mobile health apps ownership among cancer. Conclusions: Cancer survivors are digitally connected and can be approached through mobile health apps. In our study, the prevalence of mobile health apps ownership in cancer survivors was 44.8%. Educational level, income and employment status were identified as predictors of mobile health apps ownership. Due to the growing population of cancer survivors and limited resources available to address their needs, efforts to address barriers of mobile health apps adoption and utilization should be encouraged.

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A Review of the Quality and Impact of Mobile Health Apps

Annual Review of Public Health ◽

10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-103738 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Quinn Grundy

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Annual Review ◽

Publication Date ◽

Health Apps ◽

Digital Environments ◽

User Data ◽

Mobile Health Applications ◽

Mobile Health Apps ◽

The Impact

Mobile health applications (apps) have transformed the possibilities for health promotion and disease self-management; however, their promise is not fully realized owing to their reliance on commercial ecosystems for development and distribution. This review provides an overview of the types of mobile health apps and describes key stakeholders in terms of how apps are used, developed, and regulated. I outline key challenges facing consumers, public health professionals, and policy makers in evaluating the quality of health apps and summarize what is known about the impact of apps on health outcomes and health equity. I suggest that factors within the wider mobile ecosystem largely define the impact of health apps and, most notably, practices around the collection and commercialization of user data. Finally, I suggest that upstream public health strategies, grounded in an understanding of corporate influences on health, are necessary to promote healthy digital environments in which mobile health app innovation can flourish. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 43 is April 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Impact of low vision services on the quality of life of low vision patients in Ghana

African Vision and Eye Health ◽

10.4102/aveh.v75i1.19 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 75 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Godwin O. Ovenseri-Ogbomo ◽

Harriette Osafo-Agyei ◽

Ralph E.U. Akpalaba ◽

James Addy ◽

Elizabeth O. Ovenseri

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Visual Acuity ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Low Vision ◽

Care Quality ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Low Vision Clinic ◽

The Impact

Patients’ perspectives on the impact of clinical interventions have been recognised as critical elements in patient care. Quality-of-life instruments are designed to measure these perspectives. We used the National Eye Institute’s 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ) to measure the impact of optical low vision devices on the quality of life of 22 low vision patients who obtained and were using low vision devices from a secondary low vision clinic in the Eastern Region, Ghana. The study employed a pre- and post-intervention technique. We found statistically significant improvements in measured visual acuity and NEI VFQ scores in 8 of the 10 domains evaluated. We conclude that optical low vision devices have a positive impact on the quality of life of low vision patients in Ghana.Keywords: low vision; quality of life; visual acuity; visual impairment; Ghana

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The Functionality, Quality and Consistency with International Guidelines of Asthma Mobile Health Applications: Protocol for a Systematic Review. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.32617 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Billy Robinson ◽

Enying Gong ◽

Brian Oldenburg ◽

Katharine See

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Airflow Limitation ◽

Significant Variable ◽

Assessment Framework ◽

Mobile Health Applications ◽

Gina Guidelines ◽

Mhealth Apps ◽

Health Applications

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder defined clinically as a combination of typical respiratory symptoms, and significant variable reversible airflow limitation. In addition to pharmacotherapy, a key aspect of asthma management is empowering patients to manage their condition and recognise and respond to asthma exacerbations. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) represent a potential medium through which patients could improve the ability to self-manage their asthma. Few studies have conducted a systematic evaluation of both free and paid asthma mobile applications for the quality and functionality of the apps using a validated tool and to our knowledge none have systematically assessed these applications for the quality of information that they provide compared to available international best practice guidelines. This represents the first study that will undertake both of these evaluations for all available mHealth Apps in Australia targeted towards adult asthmatics. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines represent a regularly updated guideline based on reviews of the available scientific literature by an international panel of experts. This review will examine the functionality and quality of available asthma mobile health applications and the consistency of these available applications with recommendations from the GINA guidelines. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of adult-targeted asthma mobile health applications on the Australian market. As part of this review the potential for an mHealth app to improve asthma self-management and the overall quality of the application will be evaluated, using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) framework, and the quality of the information within an app, using the current GINA guidelines as a reference, will be assessed. METHODS A methodological stepwise approach was taken in creating this review. First the most recent GINA guidelines were independently reviewed by two authors to identify key recommendations that could feasibly be incorporated into a mHealth app. These identified recommendations were then compared to a previously developed asthma application assessment framework. A modified assessment framework was created, ensuring all of these identified recommendations were included. Two popular App stores were then reviewed to identify potential mHealth Apps and then a screening process based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria occurred to establish what mHealth Apps would be evaluated. Application evaluation then occurred. Technical information was obtained from publicly available information on the application store or within the app itself. The next step was to perform an application quality assessment using the validated MARS framework to objectively determine the quality of the application. Application functionality was then assessed using the IMS Institute for Health Informatics Functionality Scoring system. Finally, the mHealth applications will be assessed using a checklist that we have developed based on what was identified from the international GINA guidelines. RESULTS To date, funding has been received for the project from the Respiratory Department at Northern Health, Victoria. Three reviewers have been recruited to systematically evaluate the applications. Results for this study are expected by the end of this year. CONCLUSIONS Nil as protocol CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO 269894

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The Mobile App Development and Assessment Guide (MAG): Delphi-Based Validity Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17760 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pere Llorens-Vernet ◽

Jordi Miró

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Online Survey ◽

End Users ◽

Mobile App ◽

Health Apps ◽

App Development ◽

Mobile Health Apps

BACKGROUND In recent years, there has been an exponential growth of mobile health (mHealth)–related apps. This has occurred in a somewhat unsupervised manner. Therefore, having a set of criteria that could be used by all stakeholders to guide the development process and the assessment of the quality of the apps is of most importance. OBJECTIVE The aim of this paper is to study the validity of the Mobile App Development and Assessment Guide (MAG), a guide recently created to help stakeholders develop and assess mobile health apps. METHODS To conduct a validation process of the MAG, we used the Delphi method to reach a consensus among participating stakeholders. We identified 158 potential participants: 45 patients as potential end users, 41 health care professionals, and 72 developers. We sent participants an online survey and asked them to rate how important they considered each item in the guide to be on a scale from 0 to 10. Two rounds were enough to reach consensus. RESULTS In the first round, almost one-third (n=42) of those invited participated, and half of those (n=24) also participated in the second round. Most items in the guide were found to be important to a quality mHealth-related app; a total of 48 criteria were established as important. “Privacy,” “security,” and “usability” were the categories that included most of the important criteria. CONCLUSIONS The data supports the validity of the MAG. In addition, the findings identified the criteria that stakeholders consider to be most important. The MAG will help advance the field by providing developers, health care professionals, and end users with a valid guide so that they can develop and identify mHealth-related apps that are of quality.

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The Mobile App Development and Assessment Guide (MAG): Delphi-Based Validity Study

JMIR mhealth and uhealth ◽

10.2196/17760 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. e17760 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pere Llorens-Vernet ◽

Jordi Miró

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Online Survey ◽

End Users ◽

Mobile App ◽

Health Apps ◽

App Development ◽

Mobile Health Apps

Background In recent years, there has been an exponential growth of mobile health (mHealth)–related apps. This has occurred in a somewhat unsupervised manner. Therefore, having a set of criteria that could be used by all stakeholders to guide the development process and the assessment of the quality of the apps is of most importance. Objective The aim of this paper is to study the validity of the Mobile App Development and Assessment Guide (MAG), a guide recently created to help stakeholders develop and assess mobile health apps. Methods To conduct a validation process of the MAG, we used the Delphi method to reach a consensus among participating stakeholders. We identified 158 potential participants: 45 patients as potential end users, 41 health care professionals, and 72 developers. We sent participants an online survey and asked them to rate how important they considered each item in the guide to be on a scale from 0 to 10. Two rounds were enough to reach consensus. Results In the first round, almost one-third (n=42) of those invited participated, and half of those (n=24) also participated in the second round. Most items in the guide were found to be important to a quality mHealth-related app; a total of 48 criteria were established as important. “Privacy,” “security,” and “usability” were the categories that included most of the important criteria. Conclusions The data supports the validity of the MAG. In addition, the findings identified the criteria that stakeholders consider to be most important. The MAG will help advance the field by providing developers, health care professionals, and end users with a valid guide so that they can develop and identify mHealth-related apps that are of quality.

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Visual and Personalized Quality of Life Assessment App for People With Severe Mental Health Problems: Qualitative Evaluation (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.19593 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

David Buitenweg ◽

Dike van de Mheen ◽

Jean-Paul Grund ◽

Hans van Oers ◽

Chijs van Nieuwenhuizen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

End Users ◽

Life Assessment ◽

User Engagement ◽

Quality Of Life Assessment ◽

Health Apps

BACKGROUND QoL-ME is a digital visual personalized quality of life assessment app for people with severe mental health problems. Research reveals that e-mental health apps frequently suffer from low engagement and fall short of expectations regarding their impact on patients’ daily lives. Studies often indicate that e-mental health apps ought to respect the needs and preferences of end users to achieve optimal user engagement. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of users regarding the usability and functionality of QoL-ME and whether the app is actionable and beneficial for patients. METHODS End users (n=8) of QoL-ME contributed to semistructured interviews. An interview guide was used to direct the interviews. All interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcriptions were analyzed and coded thematically. RESULTS Analysis revealed 3 main themes: (1) benefit, (2) actionability, and (3) characteristics of the QoL-ME. The first theme reveals that the QoL-ME app was beneficial for the majority of respondents, primarily by prompting them to reflect on their quality of life. The current version is not yet actionable; the actionability of the QoL-ME app may be improved by enabling users to view their scores over time and by supplying practical advice for quality of life improvements. Overall, participants had positive experiences with the usability, design, and content of the app. CONCLUSIONS The QoL-ME app can be beneficial to users as it provides them with insight into their quality of life and elicits reflection. Incorporating more functionalities that facilitate self-management, such as advice and strategies for improving areas that are lacking, will likely make the app actionable. Patients positively regarded the usability, design, and contents of the QoL-ME app.

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ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE USE OF MOBILE HEALTH APPLICATIONS IN BULGARIA

Proceedings of CBU in Medicine and Pharmacy ◽

10.12955/pmp.v1.98 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 53-60

Author(s):

Kristina Kilova ◽

Desislava Bakova ◽

Antonia Yaneva ◽

Vanina Mihaylova

Keyword(s):

Mobile Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Statistical Difference ◽

Graphical Representation ◽

Mobile Health Applications ◽

Quality Of Health Services ◽

Primary Focus ◽

Socially Relevant ◽

Health Applications

Background: The increasing use of mobile phones has offered an opportunity to improve the quality of health services, secure the accessibility of healthcare systems for a larger population and support patients in effective management of their health/chronic conditions. Main Goal: The primary focus of the study in hand is to explore the different attitudes towards the use of mHealth in Bulgaria and to examine the extensive use of mobile health applications for the supervision, prevention and containment of various socially relevant diseases, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Materials and methods: An online survey was conducted in the period between July 2019 and February 2020. Amongst the 976 people that were interviewed, 591 (60.6%) were females and 385 (39.4%) were males. The mean age of the respondents was 43.25 ± 0.755. A unique questionnaire was prepared for the collection of information regarding the usage of mobile health applications. Statistical analyses were carried out with the help of IBM SPSS Statistics, version 23. MS Excel 2016 was used for the graphical representation of the results. Results: 89% of the participants possessed a mobile phone and an approximate 84% of them used mHealth applications. Besides this, the results suggested a considerable statistical difference in the respondents’ attitudes, in terms of their gender, where the deviation was in favour of female respondents. Additionally, findings revealed another statistical difference on the basis of their age and level of education. Furthermore, a huge majority claimed that they generally used these types of applications for monitoring their blood pressure or pulse. Conclusion: The outcome of the study was that a significant number of respondents were already using or tended to use smartphones and various applications, including health ones. We expect that the results of this study will provide evidence of the essentiality of mobile health applications to be developed in Bulgaria. This is crucial for patients as this technology has the potential to open up several new possibilities for treatments and observations of diverse socially significant diseases.

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