scholarly journals Mobile apps for detecting falsified and substandard drugs: A systematic review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246061
Author(s):  
Agustín Ciapponi ◽  
Manuel Donato ◽  
A. Metin Gülmezoglu ◽  
Tomás Alconada ◽  
Ariel Bardach
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
Medical Database ◽  
Bar Code ◽  
Medical Databases

The use of substandard and counterfeit medicines (SCM) leads to significant health and economic consequences, like treatment failure, rise of antimicrobial resistance, extra expenditures of individuals or households and serious adverse drug reactions including death. Our objective was to systematically search, identify and compare relevant available mobile applications (apps) for smartphones and tablets, which use could potentially affect clinical and public health outcomes. We carried out a systematic review of the literature in January 2020, including major medical databases, and app stores. We used the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) to assess the quality of apps, (1 worst score, 3 acceptable score, and 5 best score). We planned to evaluate the accuracy of the mobile apps to detect SCM. We retrieved 335 references through medical databases and 42 from Apple, Google stores and Google Scholar. We finally included two studies of the medical database, 25 apps (eight from the App Store, eight from Google Play, eight from both stores, and one from Google Scholar), and 16 websites. We only found one report on the accuracy of a mobile apps detecting SCMs. Most apps use the imprint, color or shape for pill identification, and only a few offer pill detection through photographs or bar code. The MARS mean score for the apps was 3.17 (acceptable), with a maximum of 4.9 and a minimum of 1.1. The ‘functionality’ dimension resulted in the highest mean score (3.4), while the ‘engagement’ and ‘information’ dimensions showed the lowest one (3.0). In conclusion, we found a remarkable evidence gap about the accuracy of mobile apps in detecting SCMs. However, mobile apps could potentially be useful to screen for SCM by assessing the physical characteristics of pills, although this should still be assessed in properly designed research studies.

scholarly journals Quality of Mobile Apps for Care Partners of People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Mobile App Rating Scale Evaluation (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole E Werner ◽  
Janetta C Brown ◽  
Priya Loganathar ◽  
Richard J Holden
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Future Research ◽  
App Development ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Acceptable Quality ◽  
The Us ◽  
Google Play

BACKGROUND The over 11 million care partners in the US who provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) cite persistent and pervasive unmet needs related to all aspects of their caregiving role. The proliferation of mobile applications (apps) for care partners has potential to meet the care partners’ needs, but the quality of apps is unknown. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to 1) evaluate the quality of publicly available apps for care partners of people living with ADRD and 2) identify design features of low- and high-quality apps to guide future research and app development. METHODS We searched the US Apple and Google Play app stores with the criteria that the app needed to be 1) available in US Google play or Apple app stores, 2) directly accessible to users “out of the box”, 3) primarily intended for use by an informal (family, friend) caregiver or caregivers of a person with dementia. The included apps were then evaluated using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), which includes descriptive app classification and rating using 23 items across five dimensions: engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information, and subjective quality. Next, we computed descriptive statistics for each rating. To identify recommendations for future research and app development, we categorized rater comments on the score driving factors for each item and what the app could have done to improve the score for that item. RESULTS We evaluated 17 apps (41% iOS only, 12% Android only, 47% both iOS and Android). We found that on average, the apps are of minimally acceptable quality. Although we identified apps above and below minimally acceptable quality, many apps had broken features and were rated as below acceptable for engagement and information. CONCLUSIONS Minimally acceptable quality is likely insufficient to meet care partner needs. Future research should establish minimum quality standards across dimensions for mobile apps for care partners. The design features of high-quality apps we identified in this research can provide the foundation for benchmarking those standards.

scholarly journals Measuring the Quality of Clinical Skills Mobile Apps for Student Learning: Systematic Search, Analysis, and Comparison of Two Measurement Scales (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tehmina Gladman ◽  
Grace Tylee ◽  
Steve Gallagher ◽  
Jonathan Mair ◽  
Rebecca Grainger
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Measurement Scales ◽  
High Quality

BACKGROUND Mobile apps are widely used in health professions, which increases the need for simple methods to determine the quality of apps. In particular, teachers need the ability to curate high-quality mobile apps for student learning. OBJECTIVE This study aims to systematically search for and evaluate the quality of clinical skills mobile apps as learning tools. The quality of apps meeting the specified criteria was evaluated using two measures—the widely used Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), which measures general app quality, and the Mobile App Rubric for Learning (MARuL), a recently developed instrument that measures the value of apps for student learning—to assess whether MARuL is more effective than MARS in identifying high-quality apps for learning. METHODS Two mobile app stores were systematically searched using clinical skills terms commonly found in medical education and apps meeting the criteria identified using an approach based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A total of 9 apps were identified during the screening process. The apps were rated independently by 2 reviewers using MARS and MARuL. RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the 2 raters using MARS and MARuL were the same (MARS ICC [two-way]=0.68; <i>P</i>&lt;.001 and MARuL ICC [two-way]=0.68; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). Of the 9 apps, Geeky Medics-OSCE revision (MARS Android=3.74; MARS iOS=3.68; MARuL Android=75; and MARuL iOS=73) and OSCE PASS: Medical Revision (MARS Android=3.79; MARS iOS=3.71; MARuL Android=69; and MARuL iOS=73) scored highly on both measures of app quality and for both Android and iOS. Both measures also showed agreement for the lowest rated app, Patient Education Institute (MARS Android=2.21; MARS iOS=2.11; MARuL Android=18; and MARuL iOS=21.5), which had the lowest scores in all categories except information (MARS) and professional (MARuL) in both operating systems. MARS and MARuL were both able to differentiate between the highest and lowest quality apps; however, MARuL was better able to differentiate apps based on teaching and learning quality. CONCLUSIONS This systematic search and rating of clinical skills apps for learning found that the quality of apps was highly variable. However, 2 apps—Geeky Medics-OSCE revision and OSCE PASS: Medical Revision—rated highly for both versions and with both quality measures. MARS and MARuL showed similar abilities to differentiate the quality of the 9 apps. However, MARuL’s incorporation of teaching and learning elements as part of a multidimensional measure of quality may make it more appropriate for use with apps focused on teaching and learning, whereas MARS’s more general rating of quality may be more appropriate for health apps targeting a general health audience. Ratings of the 9 apps by both measures also highlighted the variable quality of clinical skills mobile apps for learning. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Diet-Related Mobile Apps to Promote Healthy Eating and Proper Nutrition: A Content Analysis and Quality Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3496
Author(s):  
Jihye Choi ◽  
Chongwook Chung ◽  
Hyekyung Woo
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Selection Of

Dietary mobile applications (apps) continue to hold promise for facilitating a healthy diet and managing nutrition. However, few studies have objectively evaluated the content and quality of such apps in Korea. The present study assessed the content and quality of dietary mobile apps using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). We selected 29 dietary apps based on keywords and eligibility criteria for inclusion in the analyses. We conducted regression analyses to examine the association between app content and MARS scores. Most of the apps featured a tracking tool, while few featured rewards or follow-up management. Our quality assessment revealed that the top-rated apps have distinct levels of quality in terms of MARS scores. The regression analyses showed that the ways in which the apps provide information and motivate the users are statistically significant predictors of app quality. Our findings may facilitate the selection of dietary apps in Korea and provide guidelines for app developers regarding potential improvements in terms of content and quality.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Speech-Language Therapy in Adults With Communication Disorders: Review of Content and Quality

10.2196/18858 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. e18858
Author(s):  
Atiyeh Vaezipour ◽  
Jessica Campbell ◽  
Deborah Theodoros ◽  
Trevor Russell
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
App Store ◽  
Google Play

Background Worldwide, more than 75% of people with acquired brain injury (ABI) experience communication disorders. Communication disorders are impairments in the ability to communicate effectively, that is, sending, receiving, processing, and comprehending verbal and nonverbal concepts and symbols. Such disorders may have enduring impacts on employment, social participation, and quality of life. Technology-enabled interventions such as mobile apps have the potential to increase the reach of speech-language therapy to treat communication disorders. However, ensuring that apps are evidence-based and of high quality is critical for facilitating safe and effective treatment for adults with communication disorders. Objective The aim of this review is to identify mobile apps that are currently widely available to adults with communication disorders for speech-language therapy and to assess their content and quality using the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Methods Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and webpages were searched to identify mobile apps for speech-language therapy. Apps were included in the review if they were designed for the treatment of adult communication disorders after ABI, were in English, and were either free or for purchase. Certified speech-language pathologists used the MARS to assess the quality of the apps. Results From a total of 2680 apps identified from Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and web searches, 2.61% (70/2680) apps met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. Overall, 61% (43/70) were available for download on the iPhone Operating System (iOS) platform, 20% (14/70) on the Android platform, and 19% (13/70) on both iOS and Android platforms. A content analysis of the apps revealed 43 apps for language, 17 apps for speech, 8 apps for cognitive communication, 6 apps for voice, and 5 apps for oromotor function or numeracy. The overall MARS mean score was 3.7 out of 5, SD 0.6, ranging between 2.1 and 4.5, with functionality being the highest-scored subscale (4.3, SD 0.6), followed by aesthetics (3.8, SD 0.8), information (3.4, SD 0.6), and engagement (3.3, SD 0.6). The top 5 apps were Naming Therapy (4.6/5), Speech Flipbook Standard (4.6/5), Number Therapy (4.5/5), Answering Therapy, and Constant Therapy (4.4/5). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to systematically identify and evaluate a broad range of mobile apps for speech-language therapy for adults with communication disorders after sustaining ABI. We found a lack of interactive and engaging elements in the apps, a critical factor in sustaining self-managed speech-language therapy. More evidence-based apps with a focus on human factors, user experience, and a patient-led design approach are required to enhance effectiveness and long-term use.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Blood Pressure Monitoring: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Jamaladin ◽  
Tom H van de Belt ◽  
Lianda CH Luijpers ◽  
Falco R de Graaff ◽  
Sebastian JH Bredie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Blood Pressure Monitoring ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Pressure Monitoring

BACKGROUND Using a mobile app for self-management could make it easier for patients to get insight into their blood pressure patterns. However, little is known about the availability, quality, and features of mobile apps targeting blood pressure. OBJECTIVE The goal of the research was to determine the availability, functionality, and quality of mobile apps that could be used for blood pressure monitoring purposes. METHODS A systematic app search was performed based on the standards for systematic reviews. We searched the Dutch official app stores for Android and iOS platforms using predefined keywords and included all English and Dutch mobile apps targeting blood pressure. Two independent assessors determined eligibility and quality of the apps using the 5-point Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Quality scores of the apps with and without 17 a priori selected characteristics were compared using independent sample t tests. RESULTS A total of 184 apps (104 Android, 80 iOS) met the inclusion criteria. The mean overall MARS score was 2.63 (95% CI 2.55-2.71) for Android and 2.64 (95% CI 2.56-2.71) for iOS. The apps Bloeddruk (4.1) and AMICOMED BP (3.6) had the highest quality scores on the Android and iOS platforms, respectively. Of the app characteristics recorded, only pricing, in-app advertisements, and local data storage were not associated with the quality scores. In only 3.8% (7/184) of the apps, involvement of medical experts in its development was mentioned, whereas none of the apps was formally evaluated with results published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS This study provides an overview of the best apps currently available in the app stores and important key features for self-management that can be used by health care providers and patients with hypertension to identify a suitable app targeting blood pressure monitoring. However, the majority of the apps targeting blood pressure monitoring were of poor quality. Therefore, it is important to involve medical experts in the developmental stage of health-related mobile apps to improve the quality of these apps.

scholarly journals Mobile App Rating Scale: A New Tool for Assessing the Quality of Health Mobile Apps

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stoyan R Stoyanov ◽  
Leanne Hides ◽  
David J Kavanagh ◽  
Oksana Zelenko ◽  
Dian Tjondronegoro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App

scholarly journals Measuring the Quality of Mobile Apps for the Management of Pain: Systematic Search and Evaluation Using the Mobile App Rating Scale (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Salazar ◽  
Helena de Sola ◽  
Inmaculada Failde ◽  
Jose Antonio Moral-Munoz
Keyword(s):  
New Technologies ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Subjective Quality ◽  
Global Quality ◽  
Final Score ◽  
Biopsychosocial Model Of Pain

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a major health issue requiring an approach that not only considers medication, but also many other factors included in the biopsychosocial model of pain. New technologies, such as mobile apps, are tools to address these factors, although in many cases they lack proven quality or are not based on scientific evidence, so it is necessary to review and measure their quality. OBJECTIVE The aim is to evaluate and measure the quality of mobile apps for the management of pain using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). METHODS This study included 18 pain-related mobile apps from the App Store and Play Store. The MARS was administered to measure their quality. We list the scores (of each section and the final score) of every app and we report the mean score (and standard deviation) for an overall vision of the quality of the pain-related apps. We compare the section scores between the groups defined according to the tertiles via analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Kruskal-Wallis test, depending on the normality of the distribution (Shapiro-Wilk test). RESULTS The global quality ranged from 1.74 (worst app) to 4.35 (best app). Overall, the 18 apps obtained a mean score of 3.17 (SD 0.75). The best-rated sections were functionality (mean 3.92, SD 0.72), esthetics (mean 3.29, SD 1.05), and engagement (mean 2.87, SD 1.14), whereas the worst rated were app specific (mean 2.48, SD 1.00), information (mean 2.52, SD 0.82), and app subjective quality (mean 2.68, SD 1.22). The main differences between tertiles were found on app subjective quality, engagement, esthetics, and app specific. CONCLUSIONS Current pain-related apps are of a certain quality mainly regarding their technical aspects, although they fail to offer information and have an impact on the user. Most apps are not based on scientific evidence, have not been rigorously tested, and the confidentiality of the information collected is not guaranteed. Future apps would need to improve these aspects and exploit the capabilities of current devices.

scholarly journals Content analysis of behavior change techniques in popular mobile apps for smoking cessation in France. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luz Bustamante ◽  
Cédric Gill Ménard ◽  
Sabrina Julien ◽  
Lucia Romo
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Smoking Cessation Treatment ◽  
Content Quality ◽  
Cessation Treatment ◽  
General Quality

BACKGROUND The mobile app market differs from country to country, and to date no previous review of smoking cessation applications (apps) content quality has been conducted in France. OBJECTIVE The current review aims to examine the general quality of the most popular smoking cessation apps in France and also determine the degree to which apps adhere to established behavioral and cognitive techniques (BCT’s) proven effective in clinical practice. METHODS A systematic research of smoking cessation apps was conducted in both Google Play and Apple store in the French market. The general quality of popular apps was rated with the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and the therapeutical quality was assessed with the ratio of adherence of the BCT taxonomy for smoking cessation treatment. RESULTS 14 mobile apps met all the inclusion criteria of the content analysis. The inter-rater reliability varies from “substantial’ (0,79) to “almost perfect” (0,9) for both measures. The mean MARS score was 3,5 out of 5 (median 3,1- IQR 1,3). Findings suggest that popular apps focused primary on the functionality dimension of the MARS scale (4.2 out of 5). The average number of BCT techniques was 22, with a huge difference between apps (min=4/max=38). At least half of the apps addressed motivation (63%) and advise on using behavioral skills in order to quit or stay nonsmoker (62%). However, only a handful of apps gathered important information (42%) in order to deliver proper advice regarding the use of approved medication or the implementation of the behavioral techniques (31%). The average MARS score was positively correlated with the price (r = .70, p = < .001), and with the number of BCT’s used (r = .66, p = < .005). User rating was not correlated with any quality scale. CONCLUSIONS Content quality of popular smoking cessation apps in France varied by app type and price. Most popular apps propose in general a good quality content but lack the implementation of evidence based BCT’s associated with effectiveness on smoking cessation treatment. Further research is needed to evaluate the improvement of the quality content of smoking cessation apps in France.

scholarly journals Measuring the Quality of Clinical Skills Mobile Apps for Student Learning: Systematic Search, Analysis, and Comparison of Two Measurement Scales

10.2196/25377 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e25377
Author(s):  
Tehmina Gladman ◽  
Grace Tylee ◽  
Steve Gallagher ◽  
Jonathan Mair ◽  
Rebecca Grainger
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Measurement Scales ◽  
High Quality

Background Mobile apps are widely used in health professions, which increases the need for simple methods to determine the quality of apps. In particular, teachers need the ability to curate high-quality mobile apps for student learning. Objective This study aims to systematically search for and evaluate the quality of clinical skills mobile apps as learning tools. The quality of apps meeting the specified criteria was evaluated using two measures—the widely used Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), which measures general app quality, and the Mobile App Rubric for Learning (MARuL), a recently developed instrument that measures the value of apps for student learning—to assess whether MARuL is more effective than MARS in identifying high-quality apps for learning. Methods Two mobile app stores were systematically searched using clinical skills terms commonly found in medical education and apps meeting the criteria identified using an approach based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A total of 9 apps were identified during the screening process. The apps were rated independently by 2 reviewers using MARS and MARuL. Results The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the 2 raters using MARS and MARuL were the same (MARS ICC [two-way]=0.68; P<.001 and MARuL ICC [two-way]=0.68; P<.001). Of the 9 apps, Geeky Medics-OSCE revision (MARS Android=3.74; MARS iOS=3.68; MARuL Android=75; and MARuL iOS=73) and OSCE PASS: Medical Revision (MARS Android=3.79; MARS iOS=3.71; MARuL Android=69; and MARuL iOS=73) scored highly on both measures of app quality and for both Android and iOS. Both measures also showed agreement for the lowest rated app, Patient Education Institute (MARS Android=2.21; MARS iOS=2.11; MARuL Android=18; and MARuL iOS=21.5), which had the lowest scores in all categories except information (MARS) and professional (MARuL) in both operating systems. MARS and MARuL were both able to differentiate between the highest and lowest quality apps; however, MARuL was better able to differentiate apps based on teaching and learning quality. Conclusions This systematic search and rating of clinical skills apps for learning found that the quality of apps was highly variable. However, 2 apps—Geeky Medics-OSCE revision and OSCE PASS: Medical Revision—rated highly for both versions and with both quality measures. MARS and MARuL showed similar abilities to differentiate the quality of the 9 apps. However, MARuL’s incorporation of teaching and learning elements as part of a multidimensional measure of quality may make it more appropriate for use with apps focused on teaching and learning, whereas MARS’s more general rating of quality may be more appropriate for health apps targeting a general health audience. Ratings of the 9 apps by both measures also highlighted the variable quality of clinical skills mobile apps for learning.

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