scholarly journals Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Just-Right Hybrid Model to Synthesize the Growing Landscape of Publicly Available Health-Related Mobile Apps

10.2196/27105 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. e27105
Author(s):  
Nancy Lau ◽  
Alison O'Daffer ◽  
Joyce Yi-Frazier ◽  
Abby R Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid Model ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Essential Question ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Research Standards ◽  
State Of The Science ◽  
Mhealth Apps

Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have provided an innovative platform for the deployment of health care diagnostics, symptom monitoring, and prevention and intervention programs. Such health-related smartphone apps are universally accepted by patients and providers with over 50 million users worldwide. Despite the rise in popularity and accessibility among consumers, the evidence base in support of health-related apps has fallen well behind the rapid pace of industry development. To bridge this evidence gap, researchers are beginning to consider how to best apply evidence-based research standards to the systematic synthesis of the mHealth consumer market. In this viewpoint, we argue for the adoption of a “hybrid model” that combines a traditional systematic review with a systematic search of mobile app download platforms for health sciences researchers interested in synthesizing the state of the science of consumer apps. This approach, which we have successfully executed in a recent review, maximizes the benefits of traditional and novel approaches to address the essential question of whether popular consumer mHealth apps work.

scholarly journals Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Just-Right Hybrid Model to Synthesize the Growing Landscape of Publicly Available Health-Related Mobile Apps (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Lau ◽  
Alison O'Daffer ◽  
Joyce Yi-Frazier ◽  
Abby R Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid Model ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Essential Question ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Research Standards ◽  
State Of The Science ◽  
Mhealth Apps

UNSTRUCTURED Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have provided an innovative platform for the deployment of health care diagnostics, symptom monitoring, and prevention and intervention programs. Such health-related smartphone apps are universally accepted by patients and providers with over 50 million users worldwide. Despite the rise in popularity and accessibility among consumers, the evidence base in support of health-related apps has fallen well behind the rapid pace of industry development. To bridge this evidence gap, researchers are beginning to consider how to best apply evidence-based research standards to the systematic synthesis of the mHealth consumer market. In this viewpoint, we argue for the adoption of a “hybrid model” that combines a traditional systematic review with a systematic search of mobile app download platforms for health sciences researchers interested in synthesizing the state of the science of consumer apps. This approach, which we have successfully executed in a recent review, maximizes the benefits of traditional and novel approaches to address the essential question of whether popular consumer mHealth apps work.

scholarly journals 4056 Dementia family caregivers’ mobile app use and intention to adopt mHealth apps

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (s1) ◽  
pp. 54-55
Author(s):  
Kyra Jennifer Waligora Mendez ◽  
Hae Ra Han
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Chronic Condition ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Intention To Adopt ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mhealth Apps

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To describe preliminary results of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers’ (CGs) mobile app use and intention to adopt mHealth apps for their own chronic condition self-management. To discuss implications for designing and implementing mHealth interventions for CGs. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: This study aims to recruit 110 racially and ethnically diverse family caregivers (CGs) who have a chronic condition, provide care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias, and have access to a mobile device. This is a cross-sectional correlational study collecting data with computer-assisted telephone interviews stored through REDCap. The study survey was created using existing surveys about mobile app use; relevant, well-validated research instruments; and questions from the U.S. Census and other national surveys. CGs are being actively recruited from the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area using various recruitment strategies that have been effective in prior studies. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The majority of CGs used websites (86%), mobile devices (68%) or apps (53%) to manage their own health. CGs using health-related apps were tracking their exercise (60%), diet (60%), medical records (50%), and physical health measures (50%). More than 4 out of 5 (82%) predicted they would use mobile apps to self-manage their chronic condition, though only 68% actually planned to use them. 86% of CGs were using mobile apps for non-health related purposes, with the most popular app being weather (90%), followed by social media (74%), music/entertainment (68%), and banking/business apps (63%). CGs used weather and social media apps most often (2 or more times/day) and spent 9 hours/week on apps. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Websites and mobile apps appear to be feasible modes to deliver health interventions to CGs. Researchers should consider including features of apps most frequently used by CGs, such as the weather, ways to connect with others, and music/entertainment, when delivering mHealth interventions to CGs.

Mobility Matters

2016 ◽  
pp. 200-219
Author(s):  
Brett Oppegaard
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Rapid Pace

Researchers generally have not been able to keep up with the rapid pace of mobile app innovation in many ways. One of those holes is with typology. Not being able to clearly describe mobile app artifacts, as a way to start a discussion about them, is a key factor holding researchers back. This chapter splinters off a promising but relatively underdeveloped genre of mobile apps, the locative ones that juxtapose interactive digital media with particular physical environments, for closer examination and better labeling. This piece quickly provides theoretical, historical, and contextual overviews to help situate locative apps as a genre of importance. It then provides informal frameworks, as thought exercises, for examining and understanding apps through a locative perspective. Two cases, also led by the author, will then be taken through this process to illustrate what can be learned from it, followed by reflections and suggestions for related future areas of inquiry.

scholarly journals Mobile Health Apps That Help With COVID-19 Management: Scoping Review

JMIR Nursing ◽  
10.2196/20596 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e20596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanson John Leon Singh ◽  
Danielle Couch ◽  
Kevin Yap
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Symptom Monitoring ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Google Search ◽  
Mhealth Apps

Background Mobile health (mHealth) apps have played an important role in mitigating the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response. However, there is no resource that provides a holistic picture of the available mHealth apps that have been developed to combat this pandemic. Objective Our aim is to scope the evidence base on apps that were developed in response to COVID-19. Methods Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for scoping reviews, literature searches were conducted on Google Search, Google Scholar, and PubMed using the country’s name as keywords and “coronavirus,” “COVID-19,” “nCOV19,” “contact tracing,” “information providing apps,” “symptom tracking,” “mobile apps,” “mobile applications,” “smartphone,” “mobile phone,” and “mHealth.” Countries most affected by COVID-19 and those that first rolled out COVID-19–related apps were included. Results A total of 46 articles were reviewed from 19 countries, resulting in a total of 29 apps. Among them, 15 (52%) apps were on contact tracing, 7 (24%) apps on quarantine, 7 (24%) on symptom monitoring, and 1 (3%) on information provision. More than half (n=20, 69%) were from governmental sources, only 3 (10%) were from private organizations, and 3 (10%) from universities. There were 6 (21%) apps available on either Android or iOS, and 10 (34%) were available on both platforms. Bluetooth was used in 10 (34%) apps for collecting data, 12 (41%) apps used GPS, and 12 (41%) used other forms of data collection. Conclusions This review identifies that the majority of COVID-19 apps were for contact tracing and symptom monitoring. However, these apps are effective only if taken up by the community. The sharing of good practices across different countries can enable governments to learn from each other and develop effective strategies to combat and manage this pandemic.

scholarly journals Quality of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Mobile Apps: Evaluation Using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) With Additional Criteria From a Content Expert (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Lee Romero ◽  
Frederick Kates ◽  
Mark Hart ◽  
Amanda Ojeda ◽  
Itai Meirom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
American Sign Language ◽  
Hard Of Hearing ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Content Expert ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND The spread of technology and dissemination of knowledge across the World Wide Web has prompted the development of apps for American Sign Language (ASL) translation, interpretation, and syntax recognition. There is limited literature regarding the quality, effectiveness, and appropriateness of mobile health (mHealth) apps for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHOH) that pose to aid the DHOH in their everyday communication and activities. Other than the star-rating system with minimal comments regarding quality, the evaluation metrics used to rate mobile apps are commonly subjective. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of DHOH apps using a standardized scale. In addition, it also aimed to identify content-specific criteria to improve the evaluation process by using a content expert, and to use the content expert to more accurately evaluate apps and features supporting the DHOH. METHODS A list of potential apps for evaluation was generated after a preliminary screening for apps related to the DHOH. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed to refine the master list of apps. The study modified a standardized rating scale with additional content-specific criteria applicable to the DHOH population for app evaluation. This was accomplished by including a DHOH content expert in the design of content-specific criteria. RESULTS The results indicate a clear distinction in Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) scores among apps within the study’s three app categories: ASL translators (highest score=3.72), speech-to-text (highest score=3.6), and hard-of-hearing assistants (highest score=3.90). Of the 217 apps obtained from the search criteria, 21 apps met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Furthermore, the limited consideration for measures specific to the target population along with a high app turnover rate suggests opportunities for improved app effectiveness and evaluation. CONCLUSIONS As more mHealth apps enter the market for the DHOH population, more criteria-based evaluation is needed to ensure the safety and appropriateness of the apps for the intended users. Evaluation of population-specific mHealth apps can benefit from content-specific measurement criteria developed by a content expert in the field.

Mobile App Use in Adults with Comorbid Type 2 Diabetes and Depression

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592098879
Author(s):  
Diane Orr Chlebowy ◽  
Mary-Beth Coty ◽  
Adrian Lauf ◽  
Sathya Krishnasamy ◽  
John Myers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Diabetes Management ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Advanced Degree ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Intent To Use ◽  
Mhealth Apps

The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine smartphone usage, expressed level of interest, and intent to use mHealth apps among adults with comorbid type 2 diabetes (T2D) and depression. A convenience sample of adults (N=35) completed a Demographic and Mobile App Survey and the CESD-R-10. A majority reported using mobile apps (n=23, 65.7%) and felt comfortable or very comfortable using mobile apps (n=14, 46.7%). However, few respondents used a health app (n=6, 17.1%) or a diabetes-specific app for diabetes management (n=3, 8.6%). Adjusted, age and education were the two variables that independently impacted app use; those aged less than 55 years as well as those with a graduate degree were more likely to use apps. Being younger and having an advanced degree increased the odds of using a diabetes-specific app. The findings suggest that adults with T2D are amenable to using mHealth apps to manage diabetes.

scholarly journals Description of Cardiological Apps From the German App Store: Semiautomated Retrospective App Store Analysis (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urs-Vito Albrecht ◽  
Gerd Hasenfuß ◽  
Ute von Jan
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Mobile Platforms ◽  
The Past ◽  
App Store ◽  
Considerable Research ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Meta Information ◽  
Medical Category ◽  
Enormous Number

BACKGROUND In the app stores of mobile platforms, consumers are confronted with an enormous number of mobile apps. Over the past few years, considerable research has been undertaken into to identifying, characterizing, and evaluating apps, be it in health-related or other contexts. However, many of these projects are restricted to specific areas of application and offer little flexibility in adapting the applied criteria. OBJECTIVE This paper presents an adaptable method for selecting and characterizing mobile apps listed in a mobile App Store (the Apple App Store). The method is based on filtering processes using predefined criteria, through a semiautomated retrospective App Store analysis (SARASA). METHODS To illustrate the SARASA process, keyword-based filtering and metadata-based description, review, and ranking steps were applied to a dataset, more specifically, an April 2018 readout of the Medical category of the German App Store, with the aim of obtaining a list of cardiology-related apps. RESULTS From the original list of 39,427 apps within the “Medical” category of the App Store on April 14, 2018, 34,382 apps with store descriptions in languages other than German were removed. For the remaining 5045 apps, keywords related to cardiology were applied to filter the output, obtaining a final total of 335 subject-specific apps for further analysis and description. CONCLUSIONS SARASA provides an easy to use method for applying filtering processes to identify apps matching predefined, formal criteria from app stores. The criteria can be well adapted to the needs of users. Automatic and manual analyses are easily combined when using SARASA. In the future, additional features, such as algorithmic topic analyses, may supplement the process. Although the area of application is currently limited to Apple’s App Store, expansion to other stores is planned. The method stands or falls with the transparency of the app store providers and the manufacturers to make relevant meta-information available. It is up to them to liberalize information and restrict censorship to provide clients, customers, and users truly fair circumstances finding their way around the app market.

scholarly journals Development and Effects of Cognitive Behavior-Based Healing Programs Using Mobile Apps

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3334
Author(s):  
Won Ju Hwang ◽  
Hyun Hee Jo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Purpose: There has been a recent surge in interest in mental health and how to improve individuals’ health-related quality of life. Mental health management using mobile apps can be a useful intervention method. The development and application of verified and highly efficient apps for mental health and stress management are needed. We developed healing programs and verified their effectiveness based on apps designed to promote adult mental health. Methods: We conducted a one-group pretest-posttest study in which 85 participants used the app for 12 weeks. We assessed its effects on participants’ stress (perceived stress scale, effort–reward imbalance, and photoplethysmogram (PPG)), anxiety, depression, emotional labor, and well-being. Results: The stress survey results post-intervention increased or stayed the same; however, the PPG results decreased (p = 0.002) after using the app. Depression (p = 0.043) and anxiety (p = 0.003) also decreased; however, emotional labor and well-being remained unchanged. The awareness of, knowledge of, and attitude toward mental health management all increased post-intervention. Discussion: The developed mobile app was an efficient and highly accessible way to promote mental health. However, the app requires modification and supplementation for continual use. Additionally, ongoing research concerning the study, evaluation, and integration of mobile apps is required.

scholarly journals Improving mental health in U.S. Veterans using mHealth tools: A pilot study

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 3201-3214
Author(s):  
Chase Latour ◽  
Lorcan O’Byrne ◽  
Margaret McCarthy ◽  
Ravi Chacko ◽  
Elizabeth Russell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Depression Symptom ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Mhealth Apps

Rates of PTSD remain elevated among U.S. Veterans, highlighting a need for innovative management tools. Previous studies have shown mobile apps to have positive effects on PTSD symptoms, but few apps have been examined systematically. This pilot study evaluated the perceived effectiveness and usability of Mindset, a novel mobile app that monitors user stress level via heart rate to encourage e-therapy use. The study sample included 30 community-residing Veterans who completed baseline assessments. They used the Mindset app and associated smartwatch until their approximate 1-month follow-up. Self-reported assessments included pre- and post-deployment experiences; experience with Mindset; and standard screeners for PTSD (PCL-M), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), and alcohol use problems (AUDIT). Among the 24 participants who completed follow-up interviews, a significant decrease ( p < 0.05) was found in PCL-M, PHQ-9, and modified AUDIT scores. Respondents reported moderate to high acceptance and satisfaction with Mindset features, though considerable frustration with the associated smartwatch. These findings highlight mHealth apps such as Mindset as potentially useful tools for PTSD and depression symptom management. These findings are also encouraging in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic, which may accelerate further innovation and implementation of mHealth technologies to improve mental health self-care.

scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of a mobile conservation game on players' support for nature conservation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matilda Dunn ◽  
Diogo Veríssimo
Keyword(s):  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Mobile Games ◽  
Experimental Learning ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Health Related Behaviour ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Diverse Audience

Mobile app games are an increasingly appealing method of public engagement, boasting a vast and diverse audience. This technology has also been found to be an important force for behaviour change as it is built upon experimental learning, repetitive play and motivated working, and has already been shown to be successful in health-related behaviour interventions. This research will test the hypothesis that mobile games focussed on species conservation can promote pro-conservation behaviours amongst players, adding to the growing evidence base for the use of this evolving medium in behaviour change interventions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document