96 The pediatric health app landscape: Results of an environmental scan

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. e69-e69
Author(s):  
James Benoit ◽  
Lisa Hartling ◽  
Shannon Scott
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Subjective Quality ◽  
Pediatric Health ◽  
Environmental Scan ◽  
Childhood Illnesses ◽  
Health Apps

Abstract Primary Subject area Technology Background Providing resources that aid in detection and identification of serious childhood illness helps parents feel better equipped to assess their child’s health and significantly changes parental health-seeking behaviours. Some of these resources are limited by accessibility and scalability. Remote locations and staffing limitations create challenges for parents aiming to access health information about their child. Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a scalable, accessible solution for improving health literacy by enabling access to health information through mobile devices. Objectives To systematically identify all Canadian and US child health apps for parents. Design/Methods We used an environmental scan approach – a review designed to summarize information for decision makers. The Android and Apple app marketplaces were used as search platforms. We built a list of search terms and used these platforms to search for apps targeted at parents, related to pediatric illnesses in US and Canada. Then once we determined that the app met the inclusion criteria, each included app was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), a validated tool for assessing health apps. The MARS examines apps on five domains: engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information quality, and subjective quality. Results 650 unique apps were screened and 53 apps were included. On a scale of 1-5, the 53 apps assessed had an average Engagement score of 2.82/5 (θ = 0.86), Functionality of 3.98/5 (θ = 0.72), Aesthetics of 3.09/5 (θ = 0.87), Information quality of 2.73/5 (θ = 1.32), and Subjective quality of 2.2 (θ = 0.79). App scores ranged from 2.2/5 to 4.5/5 (µ= 3.2, θ =0.6).The top three apps were Baby and Child First Aid (4.5/5), Ada (4.5/5), and HANDi Paediatric (4.2/5). Taken together, the top three apps covered topics of emergency pediatric first aid, identification of (and appropriate response to) common childhood illnesses, a means of checking symptoms, and a means of responding to emergency situations. There was a lack of Canadian-based app content available to parents in both marketplaces. In addition, published evidence of the included apps’ impact was poor: only 5/53 apps had an evidence base showing the app had been trialed. Conclusion There is a need for evidence-based apps of Canadian origin related to childhood illnesses. The results of this scan created a picture of the health app landscape by examining trends in apps related to pediatric health that are readily available to parents, and by identifying gaps in app design that can be addressed.

scholarly journals The Arabic Version of the Mobile App Rating Scale: Development and Validation Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Bardus ◽  
Nathalie Awada ◽  
Lilian A Ghandour ◽  
Elie-Jacques Fares ◽  
Tarek Gherbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Management ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Highly Correlated

BACKGROUND With thousands of health apps in app stores globally, it is crucial to systemically and thoroughly evaluate the quality of these apps due to their potential influence on health decisions and outcomes. The Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) is the only currently available tool that provides a comprehensive, multidimensional evaluation of app quality, which has been used to compare medical apps from American and European app stores in various areas, available in English, Italian, Spanish, and German. However, this tool is not available in Arabic. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to translate and adapt MARS to Arabic and validate the tool with a sample of health apps aimed at managing or preventing obesity and associated disorders. METHODS We followed a well-established and defined “universalist” process of cross-cultural adaptation using a mixed methods approach. Early translations of the tool, accompanied by confirmation of the contents by two rounds of separate discussions, were included and culminated in a final version, which was then back-translated into English. Two trained researchers piloted the MARS in Arabic (MARS-Ar) with a sample of 10 weight management apps obtained from Google Play and the App Store. Interrater reliability was established using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). After reliability was ascertained, the two researchers independently evaluated a set of additional 56 apps. RESULTS MARS-Ar was highly aligned with the original English version. The ICCs for MARS-Ar (0.836, 95% CI 0.817-0.853) and MARS English (0.838, 95% CI 0.819-0.855) were good. The MARS-Ar subscales were highly correlated with the original counterparts (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). The lowest correlation was observed in the area of usability (<i>r</i>=0.685), followed by aesthetics (<i>r</i>=0.827), information quality (<i>r</i>=0.854), engagement (<i>r</i>=0.894), and total app quality (<i>r</i>=0.897). Subjective quality was also highly correlated (<i>r</i>=0.820). CONCLUSIONS MARS-Ar is a valid instrument to assess app quality among trained Arabic-speaking users of health and fitness apps. Researchers and public health professionals in the Arab world can use the overall MARS score and its subscales to reliably evaluate the quality of weight management apps. Further research is necessary to test the MARS-Ar on apps addressing various health issues, such as attention or anxiety prevention, or sexual and reproductive health.

scholarly journals Quality evaluation of smartphone applications for laboratory medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snežana Jovičić ◽  
Joanna Siodmiak ◽  
Ian D. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Laboratory Medicine ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Subjective Quality ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background Many of the mobile applications (apps) used for delivering health interventions involve laboratory medicine data. This survey was conducted to search the online market for health apps that manage laboratory medicine data. The aim was to review them and perform a quality evaluation. Methods Apps search criteria were “Lab results blood work”, “Lab results”, and “Health apps”. After the stepwise exclusion process, 52 selected apps were downloaded and analyzed. For review and content analysis of the apps, a multidimensional tool for classifying and rating the quality of mobile health apps – Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), was used. Results Selected apps were classified into five categories according to their intended use by patients or physicians, and the type of data engaged. Spearman’s correlation analysis found significant correlations between MARS individual scoring items, as with the subjective quality and number of technical aspects. Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed a significant difference in the number of technical aspects employed, MARS engagement and informational quality score items, total score, and subjective quality. The lowest values for all of these items were in the category of apps designed for patients, and the post hoc test showed that the difference was statistically significant between this and the values in all other categories. Conclusions Apps designed for patients, are of the poorest quality, considering the total quality of the content and information they provide, estimated using the MARS tool. This estimation needs to be validated for laboratory medicine apps, and eventually modified after consideration of specific quality benchmarks.

scholarly journals The Arabic Version of the Mobile App Rating Scale: Development and Validation Study

10.2196/16956 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e16956
Author(s):  
Marco Bardus ◽  
Nathalie Awada ◽  
Lilian A Ghandour ◽  
Elie-Jacques Fares ◽  
Tarek Gherbal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Management ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Highly Correlated

Background With thousands of health apps in app stores globally, it is crucial to systemically and thoroughly evaluate the quality of these apps due to their potential influence on health decisions and outcomes. The Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) is the only currently available tool that provides a comprehensive, multidimensional evaluation of app quality, which has been used to compare medical apps from American and European app stores in various areas, available in English, Italian, Spanish, and German. However, this tool is not available in Arabic. Objective This study aimed to translate and adapt MARS to Arabic and validate the tool with a sample of health apps aimed at managing or preventing obesity and associated disorders. Methods We followed a well-established and defined “universalist” process of cross-cultural adaptation using a mixed methods approach. Early translations of the tool, accompanied by confirmation of the contents by two rounds of separate discussions, were included and culminated in a final version, which was then back-translated into English. Two trained researchers piloted the MARS in Arabic (MARS-Ar) with a sample of 10 weight management apps obtained from Google Play and the App Store. Interrater reliability was established using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). After reliability was ascertained, the two researchers independently evaluated a set of additional 56 apps. Results MARS-Ar was highly aligned with the original English version. The ICCs for MARS-Ar (0.836, 95% CI 0.817-0.853) and MARS English (0.838, 95% CI 0.819-0.855) were good. The MARS-Ar subscales were highly correlated with the original counterparts (P<.001). The lowest correlation was observed in the area of usability (r=0.685), followed by aesthetics (r=0.827), information quality (r=0.854), engagement (r=0.894), and total app quality (r=0.897). Subjective quality was also highly correlated (r=0.820). Conclusions MARS-Ar is a valid instrument to assess app quality among trained Arabic-speaking users of health and fitness apps. Researchers and public health professionals in the Arab world can use the overall MARS score and its subscales to reliably evaluate the quality of weight management apps. Further research is necessary to test the MARS-Ar on apps addressing various health issues, such as attention or anxiety prevention, or sexual and reproductive health.

scholarly journals Assessing the Quality of Mobile Phone Apps for Weight Management: User-Centered Study With Employees From a Lebanese University (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Bardus ◽  
Ahmed Ali ◽  
Farah Demachkieh ◽  
Ghassan Hamadeh
Keyword(s):  
Weight Management ◽  
Weight Control ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Nonparametric Tests ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Subjective Quality ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND Evaluating the quality of mobile health apps for weight loss and weight management is important to understand whether these can be used for obesity prevention and treatment. Recent reviews call for more research on multidimensional aspects of app quality, especially involving end users, as there are already many expert reviews on this domain. However, no quantitative study has investigated how laypersons see popular apps for weight management and perceive different dimensions of app quality. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore how laypersons evaluate the quality of 6 free weight management apps (My Diet Coach, SparkPeople, Lark, MyFitnessPal, MyPlate, and My Diet Diary), which achieved the highest quality ratings in a related and recent expert review. METHODS A user-centered study was conducted with 36 employees of a Lebanese university. Participants enrolled in the study on a rolling basis between October 2016 and March 2017. Participants were randomly assigned an app to use for 2 weeks. App quality was evaluated at the end of the trial period using the Mobile App Rating Scale user version (uMARS). uMARS assesses the dimensions of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information, and subjective quality on 5-point scales. Internal consistency and interrater agreement were examined. The associations between uMARS scores and users’ demographic characteristics were also explored using nonparametric tests. Analyses were completed in November 2017. RESULTS Overall, the 6 apps were of moderately good quality (median uMARS score 3.6, interquartile range [IQR] 0.3). The highest total uMARS scores were achieved by Lark (mean 4.0 [SD 0.5]) and MyPlate (mean 3.8 [SD 0.4]), which also achieved the highest subjective quality scores (Lark: mean 3.3 [SD 1.4]; MyPlate: mean 3.3 [SD 0.8]). Functionality was the domain with the highest rating (median 3.9, IQR 0.3), followed by aesthetics (median 3.7, IQR 0.5), information (median 3.7, IQR 0.1), and engagement (median 3.3, IQR 0.2). Subjective quality was judged low (median 2.5, IQR 0.9). Overall, subjective quality was strongly and positively related (P<.001) with total uMARS score (ρ=.75), engagement (ρ=.68), information, and aesthetics (ρ=.60) but not functionality (ρ=.40; P=.02). Higher engagement scores were reported among healthy (P=.003) and obese individuals (P=.03), who also showed higher total uMARS (P=.04) and subjective quality (P=.05) scores. CONCLUSIONS Although the apps were considered highly functional, they were relatively weak in engagement and subjective quality scores, indicating a low propensity of using the apps in the future. As engagement was the subdomain most strongly associated with subjective quality, app developers and researchers should focus on creating engaging apps, holding constant the functionality, aesthetics, and information quality. The tested apps (in particular Lark and MyPlate) were perceived as more engaging and of higher quality among healthy, obese individuals, making them a promising mode of delivery for self-directed interventions promoting weight control among the sampled population or in similar and comparable settings.

scholarly journals Using the Google™ Search Engine for Health Information: Is There a Problem? Case Study: Supplements for Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah C Cai ◽  
Leanne E King ◽  
Johanna T Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Search Engine ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Nutrition Information ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Search Results ◽  
Health And Nutrition ◽  
Quality Rating

ABSTRACT We assessed the quality of online health and nutrition information using a Google™ search on “supplements for cancer”. Search results were scored using the Health Information Quality Index (HIQI), a quality-rating tool consisting of 12 objective criteria related to website domain, lack of commercial aspects, and authoritative nature of the health and nutrition information provided. Possible scores ranged from 0 (lowest) to 12 (“perfect” or highest quality). After eliminating irrelevant results, the remaining 160 search results had median and mean scores of 8. One-quarter of the results were of high quality (score of 10–12). There was no correlation between high-quality scores and early appearance in the sequence of search results, where results are presumably more visible. Also, 496 advertisements, over twice the number of search results, appeared. We conclude that the Google™ search engine may have shortcomings when used to obtain information on dietary supplements and cancer.

A Tool for Quantifying the Quality of Online Health Information on Student Health Center Websites (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anagha Kulkarni ◽  
Mike Wong ◽  
Tejasvi Belsare ◽  
Risha Shah ◽  
Diana Yu Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Health Center ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Online Health Information ◽  
Student Health ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Student Health Center

BACKGROUND The Internet has become a major source of health information especially for adolescents and young adults. Unfortunately, inaccurate, incomplete or outdated health information is widespread online. Often adolescents and young adults turn to authoritative websites such as the student health center (SHC) website of the university they are attending to obtain reliable health information. Although most on-campus SHC clinics comply with the American College Health Association (ACHA) standards, their websites are not subject to any standards or code of conduct. In the absence of quality standards or guidelines, the monitoring and compliance processes do not exist for SHC websites either. As such, there is no oversight on the health information published on the SHC websites by any central governing body. OBJECTIVE Our objective is to enable researchers to monitor online information quality at scale. We have created a tool that can efficiently quantify the quality of information posted on SHC websites about a health topic. Specifically, this quantitative tool provides information on quality, such as reading ease, coverage of the topic, and the degree of fact-based objective information. METHODS Our cross-functional team has designed and developed an open-source software, QMOHI: Quantitative Measures of Online Health Information, using the Agile software development methodology. The QMOHI tool finds the SHC website and gathers information on the specific health topic of interest from a prespecified list of university websites. Based on the retrieved text, the tool computes eight different quality metrics. The QMOHI tool is a fully automated tool that is designed to be scalable, generalizable, and robust. RESULTS The first empirical evaluation shows that the QMOHI tool is highly scalable and substantially more efficient than the manual approach of assessing online information quality. The second experimental results demonstrate QMOHI’s ability to work effectively with starkly different health topics (COVID, Cancer, LARC, and Condom) and with narrowly focused topics (hormonal IUD and copper IUD); thereby establishing the generalizability and versatility of the tool. The results from the last experiment demonstrate that QMOHI is not vulnerable to typical structural changes that SHC websites may undergo (e.g. URL changes) over a long period of time. QMOHI is able to support longitudinal studies by being robust to such website changes. CONCLUSIONS QMOHI allows public health researchers and practitioners to conduct large-scale studies of SHC websites that were previously too time intensive. The capability to generalize broadly or focus narrowly allows for wide applications of QMOHI, equipping researchers to study both mainstream and underexplored health topics. QMOHI’s ability to robustly analyze SHC websites periodically facilitates longitudinal investigations and monitor SHC progress. QMOHI serves as a launching pad for our future work that aims to develop a broadly applicable public health tool for online health information studies with potential applications far beyond SHC websites.

Quality of a Supporting Mobile App for Rheumatic Patients: Assessment Using the User Version of the Mobile Application Scale (uMARS) and Associated Patient Characteristics (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Lambrecht ◽  
Nicolas Vuillerme ◽  
Christina Raab ◽  
David Simon ◽  
Eva-Maria Messner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Psoriatic Arthritis ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
End Users ◽  
Quality Score ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Subjective Quality ◽  
Ehealth Literacy ◽  
Rheumatic Patients

BACKGROUND Mobile applications promise to improve current health care. A growing number app quality studies exist to help patients and physicians choose appropriate, helpful and useful applications. However, current mobile app quality ratings are mostly physician-based. They exclude patients although as end-users, patients are able to provide the most relevant feedback. In a recent physician-based review of rheumatic apps, Rheuma Auszeit received the best overall rating (4.2/5), however this app has never been systematically evaluated by the intended end-users, rheumatic patients. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was (1) to assess the quality of Rheuma Auszeit by rheumatic patients and (2) to evaluate the association between uMARS (User Version of the Mobile App Rating Scale) scores and patients’ characteristics. METHODS Consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondyloarthritis were seen at the rheumatology clinic at university hospital Erlangen, Germany. They were asked to evaluate the app Rheuma Auszeit using the uMARS and to complete a paper-based survey evaluating the individual preferences, attitudes and ehealth literacy. uMARS assesses the dimensions of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information, and subjective quality on 5-point scales. The association between uMARS scores and patients’ characteristics was further explored. RESULTS Between December 2018 and January 2019, a total of 126 patients evaluated Rheuma Auszeit using uMARS and filled out the paper-based survey. The median uMARS score was 3.9, IQR 0.7. Functionality was the domain with the highest rating (median 4.8, IQR 0.8), followed by aesthetics (median 4.0, IQR 0.7), information (median 3.5, IQR 0.8), and engagement (median 3.2, IQR 1.0). Subjective quality was average (median 3.0, IQR 1.0). The lowest scoring individual item was customization with a median of 2.5/5. Lower functionality scores were reported among older female rheumatic patients (P<.004). Older male rheumatic patients reported a higher subjective quality score (P<.024). Perceived disease activity and disease duration did not significantly correlate with any uMARS subdomain scores. eHealth literacy significantly correlated with functionality uMARS subdomain ratings (Rho=0.18; P<.042). Preferred time of app usage significantly correlated with engagement (Rho=0.20; P<.024), functionality (Rho=0.19; P<.029), total uMARS score (Rho=0.21; P<.017) and subjective quality score (Rho=0.21; P<.017). The vast majority of rheumatic patients would consider recommending Rheuma Auszeit to other patients (117/126; 92.9%). CONCLUSIONS Rheuma Auszeit was well accepted by patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondyloarthritis. Lacking customization could lead to low app compliance and should be improved. The study highlights the potential and feasibility of therapeutic complementary digital solutions in rheumatology.

Quality of Health Information on the Internet

2009 ◽  
pp. 443-455
Author(s):  
Kleopatra Alamantariotou
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Internet ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Use Of The Internet ◽  
Effective Use

Recent statistics show that the World Wide Web has now grown to over 100 million sites: a phenomenal expansion in only 15 years (Mulligan 2007). It has been estimated that there are 100,000 sites offering health related information (Wilson 2002). As the amount of health information increases, the public find it increasingly difficult to decide what to accept and what to reject (Burgess 2007). Searching for information on the internet is both deceptively easy and the same time frustratingly difficult (Kiley 2002). The challenge for consumers is to find high quality, relevant information as quickly as possible. There has been ongoing debate about the quality of information aimed at patients and the general public and opinions differ on how it can be improved (Stepperd 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief overview of the different perspectives on information quality and to review the main criteria for assessing the quality of health information on the internet. Pointers are provided to enable both clinicians and patients find high quality information sources. An understanding of these issues should help health professionals and patients to make effective use of the internet.

scholarly journals Health information quality of websites on periodontology

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 308-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Bizzi ◽  
Pietro Ghezzi ◽  
Priyamvada Paudyal
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Information Quality

scholarly journals The German Version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS-G): Development and Validation Study

10.2196/14479 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. e14479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva-Maria Messner ◽  
Yannik Terhorst ◽  
Antonia Barke ◽  
Harald Baumeister ◽  
Stoyan Stoyanov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Disease Onset ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Systematic Evaluation ◽  
German Version ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Health Apps

Background The number of mobile health apps (MHAs), which are developed to promote healthy behaviors, prevent disease onset, manage and cure diseases, or assist with rehabilitation measures, has exploded. App store star ratings and descriptions usually provide insufficient or even false information about app quality, although they are popular among end users. A rigorous systematic approach to establish and evaluate the quality of MHAs is urgently needed. The Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) is an assessment tool that facilitates the objective and systematic evaluation of the quality of MHAs. However, a German MARS is currently not available. Objective The aim of this study was to translate and validate a German version of the MARS (MARS-G). Methods The original 19-item MARS was forward and backward translated twice, and the MARS-G was created. App description items were extended, and 104 MHAs were rated twice by eight independent bilingual researchers, using the MARS-G and MARS. The internal consistency, validity, and reliability of both scales were assessed. Mokken scale analysis was used to investigate the scalability of the overall scores. Results The retranslated scale showed excellent alignment with the original MARS. Additionally, the properties of the MARS-G were comparable to those of the original MARS. The internal consistency was good for all subscales (ie, omega ranged from 0.72 to 0.91). The correlation coefficients (r) between the dimensions of the MARS-G and MARS ranged from 0.93 to 0.98. The scalability of the MARS (H=0.50) and MARS-G (H=0.48) were good. Conclusions The MARS-G is a reliable and valid tool for experts and stakeholders to assess the quality of health apps in German-speaking populations. The overall score is a reliable quality indicator. However, further studies are needed to assess the factorial structure of the MARS and MARS-G.

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