Standards for mobile health-related apps (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Miró ◽  
Pere Llorens-Vernet
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Medical Devices ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Specific Regulation

BACKGROUND In recent years, the considerable increase in the number of mobile health apps has made healthcare more accessible and affordable for all. However, the exponential growth in mHealth solutions has occurred with almost no control or regulation of any kind. Despite some recent initiatives, there is still no specific regulation procedure, accreditation system or standards to help the development of the apps, mitigate risks or guarantee quality. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study is to provide a set of standards for mobile health-related apps on the basis of what is available from guidelines, frameworks, and standards in the field of health app development. METHODS To identify the most important criteria, we used three strategies. First, we conducted a systematic review of all the studies published on health-related apps. Second, we searched for health-app recommendations on the websites of professional organizations. Finally, we looked for standards governing the development of software for medical devices on the specialized webs of regulatory organizations. Then, we compiled the criteria we had identified and determined which of them could be regarded as essential, recommendable or desirable. RESULTS We identified a total of 168 criteria from the systematic review, 282 criteria from published guidelines, and 53 criteria from the standards of medical devices. These criteria were then grouped and subsumed under 8 categories, which included 36 important criteria for health apps. Of these 7 were considered to be essential, 18 recommendable, and 11 desirable. The more essential criteria an mHealth application has, the greater its quality. CONCLUSIONS This set of standards can be easily used by health care providers, developers, patients and other stakeholders, both to guide the development of mHealth related apps and to measure the quality of an mHealth app.

An Integrated Approach Towards Developing Quality Mobile Health Apps for Cancer

2019 ◽  
pp. 46-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina Kouroubali ◽  
Lefteris Koumakis ◽  
Haridimos Kondylakis ◽  
Dimitrios G. Katehakis
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Coordinated Care ◽  
Cancer Disease ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mobile Health Apps

The ever-growing demand for acquiring, managing, and exploiting patient health-related information has led to the development of several mobile health apps to support cancer patients. This chapter analyzes the clinical and technological characteristics of mobile apps enabling cancer patients to securely record, manage, and share their information online. It discusses issues relevant to increasing patient experience and acceptance, improving adherence to treatment, and effective support of coordinated care. Outcomes of recent research projects relevant to end user digital engagement, trust, interoperability, and usability/adaptability lead to an integrated approach towards developing quality mobile health apps. Improving quality of life and wellbeing in a secure and safe manner that respects the patients' privacy seems to be the key challenge. Regulation, standardization, and interoperability together with the existence of useful, accurate, and reliable tools for active patient engagement are imperative for efficient cancer disease management.

scholarly journals 2537

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. 41-42
Author(s):  
Sonya Makhni ◽  
Daniel Tuchman ◽  
Farah Fasihuddin ◽  
Jason Rogers ◽  
Ashish Atreja
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medical Assistants ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Frequent Use ◽  
Industry Standards ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Specific Implementation ◽  
User Friendly

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: To assess the usability and adoption of RxUniverse, a novel platform that enables health care providers to directly disseminate proven, evidence-based mobile health apps to patients. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Among 5 pilot clinical sites, 40 physicians and front-line providers consisting of medical assistants and receptionists were trained on the RxUniverse platform. They were instructed on the platform’s purpose, were shown a demonstration of the functionality, and were observed in a trial process of prescribing an app. Specific implementation plans were designed with the help of the clinic staff in order to best fit in with their present workflows. The well-validated System Usability Score (SUS) was used to assess the usability of the platform. Prescriptions of 100 relevant app prescriptions within a 8-week pilot period was set as the adoption goal. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Within the pilot period, greater than 2000 apps were prescribed across all users. Of the 40 providers trained on the RxUniverse platform, 26 prescribed >5 apps during the trial period. Of these 26 individuals, 18 prescribed >20 apps, 14 prescribed >50 apps, and 5 prescribed >80 apps; 58% of users reported frequent use (weekly or daily) of the platform. In total, 19 responses were received for the SUS survey. The RxUniverse platform received a usability score of 82%. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: As the pace of innovation continues to accelerate, health care providers will need to quickly integrate new digital-based tools into their workflows, and patients will need to be able to easily and readily access these tools. RxUniverse provides the necessary mechanisms, user-friendly interface, and EHR integration functionality to accomplish this. The total number of apps prescribed surpassed 2000, which far exceeded the initial target of 100 apps. The platform also scored an 82% on the SUS, which is considered an “A” by industry standards. By comparison, other health apps considered to have to be in the highest-rating groups have reported scores of 77.5% and an overall average of 68% among all systems. These outcomes demonstrate the high adoption and usability of the RxUniverse platform, an important platform that can be used to prescribe the latest technologies directly to patients.

Associations between Behaviour Change Techniques and engagement with mobile health apps: Systematic review protocol (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madison Milne-Ives ◽  
Sophie Homer ◽  
Jackie Andrade ◽  
Edward Meinert
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Behaviour Change ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Behaviour Change Techniques ◽  
Systematic Review Protocol ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Health Behaviour Change ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Review Protocol

BACKGROUND The use of digitally-enabled care and the emphasis on self-management of health is growing. Mobile health apps provide a promising means of supporting health behaviour change; however, engagement with them is often poor and evidence of their impact on health outcomes is lacking. As engagement is a key prerequisite to health behaviour change, it is essential to understand how engagement with mobile health apps and their target health behaviours can be better supported. Despite an increasing recognition of the importance of engagement in the literature, there is still a lack of understanding of how different components of engagement are associated with specific techniques that aim to change behaviours. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this systematic review protocol is to provide a synthesis of the associations between various Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs)and the different components of engagement (and their outcome measures) with mobile health apps. METHODS The review protocol was structured using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome (PICO) frameworks. Six databases will be systematically searched: PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), APA PsycInfo, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science. Title and abstract screening, full-text review, and data extraction will be conducted by two independent reviewers. Data will be extracted into a predetermined form, and any disagreements in screening or data extraction will be discussed, with a third reviewer consulted if consensus cannot be reached. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias 2 and ROBINS-I tools and descriptive and thematic analyses will be used to summarise the relationships between BCTs and the different components of engagement. RESULTS The systematic review has not been started. It is expected to be completed and submitted for publication by January 2022. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review will summarize the associations between different BCTs and various components and measures of engagement with mobile health apps. This will identify areas where further research is needed to examine BCTs that could potentially support effective engagement and help to inform the design and evaluation of future mobile health apps. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO (reference number TBD)

scholarly journals Technology for Remote Health Monitoring in an Older Population: A Role for Mobile Devices

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Dupuis ◽  
Lia Tsotsos
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Older Population ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
The Impact

The impact of an aging population on healthcare and the sustainability of our healthcare system are pressing issues in contemporary society. Technology has the potential to address these challenges, alleviating pressures on the healthcare system and empowering individuals to have greater control over monitoring their own health. Importantly, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets can allow older adults to have “on the go” access to health-related information. This paper explores mobile health apps that enable older adults and those who care for them to track health-related factors such as body readings and medication adherence, and it serves as a review of the literature on the usability and acceptance of mobile health apps in an older population.

scholarly journals Quality Assessment Criteria for Mobile Health Apps: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 745-759
Author(s):  
Wilasinee HONGSANUN ◽  
Suppachai INSUK
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Assessment Criteria ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Mobile Health Apps

Summative evidences on the criteria for user assessment of health apps are still limited. In order to determine an assessment method for mobile health apps, rigorous and appropriate criteria must be chosen. The aim of this study is to review the existing quality assessment criteria that are being used to assess the quality of mobile health apps focusing on users’ perspectives. In addition, a procedure for the quality assessment of health apps is also presented. A systematic review was conducted utilizing 5 databases; PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, CENTRAL and IEEE Xplore from 2008 to 2017. Search terms were; “mHealth”, “Applications”, “iOS OR Android”, “smartphones”, “quality”, etc. Papers that assessed the quality of health apps by users were selected. The PRISMA guideline was followed to complete the list of final studies. Likewise, a data extraction form was based on the PICO framework. From 6,514 studies, 69 studies met the eligibility criteria. Four hundred and forty-one quality assessment criteria for users were classified into 15 domains: Ease of use, Usability, Aesthetics, Connectivity, Functionality, Information, User satisfaction, Acceptability, Error occurrence, Motivation, Engagement, Data management, Undesirable events, Credentials and Security and privacy. An “ease of use” domain was found common in the included studies. The 15 domains were suggested as criteria for further study of the quality assessment and development of mHealth apps. Moreover, five recommended steps were presented for future research of quality of mobile health apps.

scholarly journals Mobile Phone Ownership, Health Apps, and Tablet Use in US Adults With a Self-Reported History of Hypertension: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisha T Langford ◽  
Craig A Solid ◽  
Ebony Scott ◽  
Meeki Lad ◽  
Eli Maayan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Mobile Device ◽  
The United States ◽  
Medical Decision ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Health Related ◽  
History Of

BACKGROUND Mobile phone and tablet ownership have increased in the United States over the last decade, contributing to the growing use of mobile health (mHealth) interventions to help patients manage chronic health conditions like diabetes. However, few studies have characterized mobile device ownership and the presence of health-related apps on mobile devices in people with a self-reported history of hypertension. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to describe the prevalence of smartphone, tablet, and basic mobile phone ownership and the presence of health apps by sociodemographic factors and self-reported hypertension status (ie, history) in a nationally representative sample of US adults, and to describe whether mobile devices are associated with health goal achievement, medical decision making, and patient-provider communication. METHODS Data from 3285 respondents from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey were analyzed. Participants were asked if they owned a smartphone, tablet, or basic mobile phone and if they had health apps on a smartphone or tablet. Participants were also asked if their smartphones or tablets helped them achieve a health-related goal like losing weight, make a decision about how to treat an illness, or talk with their health care providers. Chi-square analyses were conducted to test for differences in mobile device ownership, health app presence, and app helpfulness by patient characteristics. RESULTS Approximately 1460 (37.6% weighted prevalence) participants reported a history of hypertension. Tablet and smartphone ownership were lower in participants with a history of hypertension than in those without a history of hypertension (55% vs 66%, P=.001, and 86% vs 68%, P<.001, respectively). Participants with a history of hypertension were more likely to own a basic mobile phone only as compared to those without a history of hypertension (16% vs 9%, P<.001). Among those with a history of hypertension exclusively, basic mobile phone, smartphone, and tablet ownership were associated with age and education, but not race or sex. Older adults were more likely to report having a basic mobile phone only, whereas those with higher education were more likely to report owning a tablet or smartphone. Compared to those without a history of hypertension, participants with a history of hypertension were less likely to have health-related apps on their smartphones or tablets (45% vs 30%, P<.001) and report that mobile devices helped them achieve a health-related goal (72% vs 63%, P=.01). CONCLUSIONS Despite the increasing use of smartphones, tablets, and health-related apps, these tools are used less among people with a self-reported history of hypertension. To reach the widest cross-section of patients, a mix of novel mHealth interventions and traditional health communication strategies (eg, print, web based, and in person) are needed to support the diverse needs of people with a history of hypertension.

A Systematic Review of Usefulness Design Goals of Occupational Mobile Health Apps for Healthcare Workers

2021 ◽  
pp. 359-363
Author(s):  
Nurha Yingta ◽  
José Abdelnour Nocera ◽  
Obed Brew ◽  
Ikram Ur Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Mobile Health Apps
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