scholarly journals Mobile Health Apps for Medical Emergencies: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Plaza Roncero ◽  
Gonçalo Marques ◽  
Beatriz Sainz-De-Abajo ◽  
Francisco Martín-Rodríguez ◽  
Carlos del Pozo Vegas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
App Store ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Medical Emergencies ◽  
Google Play

BACKGROUND Mobile health apps are used to improve the quality of health care. These apps are changing the current scenario in health care, and their numbers are increasing. OBJECTIVE We wanted to perform an analysis of the current status of mobile health technologies and apps for medical emergencies. We aimed to synthesize the existing body of knowledge to provide relevant insights for this topic. Moreover, we wanted to identify common threads and gaps to support new challenging, interesting, and relevant research directions. METHODS We reviewed the main relevant papers and apps available in the literature. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was used in this review. The search criteria were adopted using systematic methods to select papers and apps. On one hand, a bibliographic review was carried out in different search databases to collect papers related to each application in the health emergency field using defined criteria. On the other hand, a review of mobile apps in two virtual storage platforms (Google Play Store and Apple App Store) was carried out. The Google Play Store and Apple App Store are related to the Android and iOS operating systems, respectively. RESULTS In the literature review, 28 papers in the field of medical emergency were included. These studies were collected and selected according to established criteria. Moreover, we proposed a taxonomy using six groups of applications. In total, 324 mobile apps were found, with 192 identified in the Google Play Store and 132 identified in the Apple App Store. CONCLUSIONS We found that all apps in the Google Play Store were free, and 73 apps in the Apple App Store were paid, with the price ranging from US $0.89 to US $5.99. Moreover, 39% (11/28) of the included studies were related to warning systems for emergency services and 21% (6/28) were associated with disaster management apps.

scholarly journals Mobile Health Apps for Medical Emergencies: Systematic Review

10.2196/18513 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. e18513
Author(s):  
Alejandro Plaza Roncero ◽  
Gonçalo Marques ◽  
Beatriz Sainz-De-Abajo ◽  
Francisco Martín-Rodríguez ◽  
Carlos del Pozo Vegas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
App Store ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Medical Emergencies ◽  
Google Play

Background Mobile health apps are used to improve the quality of health care. These apps are changing the current scenario in health care, and their numbers are increasing. Objective We wanted to perform an analysis of the current status of mobile health technologies and apps for medical emergencies. We aimed to synthesize the existing body of knowledge to provide relevant insights for this topic. Moreover, we wanted to identify common threads and gaps to support new challenging, interesting, and relevant research directions. Methods We reviewed the main relevant papers and apps available in the literature. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology was used in this review. The search criteria were adopted using systematic methods to select papers and apps. On one hand, a bibliographic review was carried out in different search databases to collect papers related to each application in the health emergency field using defined criteria. On the other hand, a review of mobile apps in two virtual storage platforms (Google Play Store and Apple App Store) was carried out. The Google Play Store and Apple App Store are related to the Android and iOS operating systems, respectively. Results In the literature review, 28 papers in the field of medical emergency were included. These studies were collected and selected according to established criteria. Moreover, we proposed a taxonomy using six groups of applications. In total, 324 mobile apps were found, with 192 identified in the Google Play Store and 132 identified in the Apple App Store. Conclusions We found that all apps in the Google Play Store were free, and 73 apps in the Apple App Store were paid, with the price ranging from US $0.89 to US $5.99. Moreover, 39% (11/28) of the included studies were related to warning systems for emergency services and 21% (6/28) were associated with disaster management apps.

Abstract 13206: Blood Pressure Apps: Do They Educate the Lay Public About Risk Factors?

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arunima Vijay ◽  
Gloria Wu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Hypertension Risk ◽  
Apple Ios ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Google Play ◽  
Lay Public ◽  
Mood Depression

Introduction: Hypertension affects 108 million Americans. To help track and manage hypertension, there are many free and popular mobile health apps that track BP. Hypothesis: BP tracking mobile health apps have many downloads but do not fully educate the public about hypertension risk factors. Methods: “Blood Pressure” as a search term was used in the Google Play and Apple iOS stores to identify the most popular, free BP tracking apps aimed at the lay public. The top 10 most popular, free apps on each store were evaluated for educating the lay public on hypertension risk factors. Inclusion criteria: top 10 free blood pressure (BP) apps, by highest number of downloads on Google Play and highest rating (out of five stars) on Apple iOS Store (no available data on iOS downloads). Exclusion criteria: non-English, requiring a wearable device, primary purpose other BP tracking. Results: Of top 20 apps: BP log: 19/20, BP ranges: 13/20, height: 5/20, weight: 8/20, BMI: 3/20, race: 1/20, gender: 4/20, age: 6/20, diet: 1/20, exercise: 1/20, medication: 4/20, diabetes: 1/20, FBS: 1/20, goals: 3/20, mood/depression: 1/20. 2 apps mentioned the American Heart Association (AHA). None of the apps had information on cvriskcalculator.com, family history, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, HbA1c, and alcohol use. Conclusion: Most free and popular BP apps monitor BP but largely ignore hypertension risk factors such as cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, alcohol intake, mood/depression, race, and gender. Furthermore, 7/20 apps do not uniformly educate patients that a normal BP is <120/<80, in accordance with the AHA and ACC guidelines. More collaboration may be needed between physicians and software developers to educate and meet the needs of our hypertensive patients in America.

Nick Noguez and Michael Gonzalez Discuss their Research Project: Are Social Features in Mobile Health Apps Effective in Engaging Users? A Content Analysis of Smoking Cessation Mobile Apps

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Noguez And Michael Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Social Features ◽  
Mobile Health Apps

  Despite the ubiquity of smartphone ownership and the increasing integration of social engagement features in smoking cessation apps to engage users, thesocial engagement features that exist in current smoking cessation apps and how effective these social features are in engaging users remain unclear. To fill the gap in the literature, a content analysis of free and paid smoking cessation mobile apps isconducted to examine a) the presence of socialengagement features(e.g., social support, social announcement, social referencing) and non-social engagement features (e.g., personal environmental changes, goal setting), and b) their relationship with user ratingsand engagement scores (e.g., Mobile App rating scale [MARS]). The findings will not only extend the mobile health apps engagement typology,but also inform smoking cessation mobile apps design.

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

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.

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

10.2196/17760 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e17760 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Comprehensively Addressing Postpartum Maternal Health: a Content and Image Review of Commercially Available Mobile Health Apps

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Tucker ◽  
Alan Cuevas Villagomez ◽  
Tamar Krishnamurti
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
The United States ◽  
Quality Score ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Google Play

Abstract Background: The United States is currently facing a maternal morbidity and mortality crisis, with the highest rates of any resource-rich nation. In efforts to address this, new guidelines for postpartum care suggest that mobile health apps can help provide complementary clinical support for new mothers during the postpartum period. However, to date no study has evaluated existing mobile health tools targeted to this time period for sufficiency of maternal health information, inclusivity of people of color, or accessibility to users.Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards were used to review the peripartum apps from the Apple and Google Play stores in either the Health/Fitness, Medical, or Education categories. Apps were then evaluated for extent and quality of maternal health information, inclusivity of people of color, and accessibility to app users.Results: Of the 301 apps from the Apple and Google Play stores, 25 met criteria for final evaluation. Of the 30 maternal health topics coded for, the median number addressed by apps was 19.5 (65%). Peripartum behaviors were more frequently addressed than peripartum outpatient care topics and peripartum acute health risks. The amount of maternal health information correlated positively with the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) quality score of the app, and inclusivity of people of color in app imagery also correlated positively with the MARS quality score. Only 8 apps (32%) portrayed greater than 24% images of people of color- the percent of non-white Americans according to 2019 census estimates. There was no correlation between number of users as estimated by number of store ratings and MARS quality. In addition, apps with clinical authority had greater MARS engagement, information, aesthetics, and quality scores, but did not have greater numbers of store ratings.Conclusions: Current commercially available peripartum apps overall do not provide adequate maternal health information, are not inclusive of women of color, and are not optimally accessible to the target users. Apps authored with clinical authority and higher-quality apps, by MARS score, are more likely to meet these standards, but are not more likely to be downloaded and used.

scholarly journals Mobile apps for real-world evidence in health care

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 976-980
Author(s):  
Madison Milne-Ives ◽  
Michelle Helena van Velthoven ◽  
Edward Meinert
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Real World ◽  
Patient Empowerment ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
World Data ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Real World Evidence ◽  
Mobile Health Apps

Abstract The use of real-world evidence for health care research and evaluation is growing. Mobile health apps have often-overlooked potential to contribute valuable real-world data that are not captured by other sources and could provide data that are more cost-effective and generalizable than can randomized controlled trials. However, there are several challenges that must be overcome to realize the potential value of patient-used mobile health app real-world data, including data quality, motivation for long-term use, privacy and security, methods of analysis, and standardization and integration. Addressing these challenges will increase the value of data from mobile health apps to inform real-world evidence and improve patient empowerment, clinical management, disease research, and treatment development.

scholarly journals Development of Smartphone Apps for Skin Cancer Risk Assessment: Progress and Promise (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiago M de Carvalho ◽  
Eline Noels ◽  
Marlies Wakkee ◽  
Andreea Udrea ◽  
Tamar Nijsten
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Screening Programs ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
Mobile Health Apps

UNSTRUCTURED Skin cancer is a growing public health problem. Early and accurate detection is important, since prognosis and cost of treatment are highly dependent on cancer stage at detection. However, access to specialized health care professionals is not always straightforward, and population screening programs are unlikely to become implemented. Furthermore, there is a wide margin for improving the efficiency of skin cancer diagnostics. Specifically, the diagnostic accuracy of general practitioners and family physicians in differentiating benign and malignant skin tumors is relatively low. Both access to care and diagnostic accuracy fuel interest in developing smartphone apps equipped with algorithms for image analyses of suspicious lesions to detect skin cancer. Based on a recent review, seven smartphone apps claim to perform image analysis for skin cancer detection, but as of October 2018, only three seemed to be active. These apps have been criticized in the past due to their lack of diagnostic accuracy. Here, we review the development of the SkinVision smartphone app, which has more than 900,000 users worldwide. The latest version of the SkinVision app (October 2018) has a 95% sensitivity (78% specificity) for detection of skin cancer. The current accuracy of the algorithm may warrant the use of this app as an aid by lay users or general practitioners. Nonetheless, for mobile health apps to become broadly accepted, further research is needed on their health impact on the health system and the user population. Ultimately, mobile health apps could become a powerful tool to reduce health care costs related to skin cancer management and minimize the morbidity of skin cancer in the population.

scholarly journals Mind the App: Considerations for the Future of Mobile Health in Canada

10.2196/15301 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e15301
Author(s):  
Ma'n H Zawati ◽  
Michael Lang
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
The Past ◽  
Health Care Context ◽  
Mobile Health Apps ◽  
Smartphone Technology ◽  
Smartphone Use ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Health Canada

Over the past decade, smartphone technology has become increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous. Modern smartphones, now owned by more than three quarters of Canadians and 94% of millennials, perform an array of functions that are potentially useful in the health care context, such as tracking fitness data, enabling health record sharing, and providing user-friendly platforms for disease management. Approximately half of smartphone users have downloaded at least one health app, and clinicians are increasingly using them in their practice. However, despite widespread use, there is little evidence that supports their safety and efficacy. Few apps have been independently evaluated and many lack basic patient protections such as privacy policies. In this context, the demand for the regulation of mobile health apps has increased. Against this backdrop, regulators, including Health Canada, have begun to propose regulating the use of smartphones in health care. In this viewpoint, we respond to Health Canada’s recent proposal to regulate smartphone use in Canada according to a risk-based model. We argue that although Health Canada’s recent proposed approach is promising, it may require complementary regulation and oversight.

Analysis of mobile apps for information, prevention and monitoring of covid-19 and proposal of an innovative app in this field (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabel Herrera Montano ◽  
Javier Pérez Pacho ◽  
Santos Gracia Villar ◽  
Silvia Aparicio Obregon ◽  
José Breñosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Main Function ◽  
App Store ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Virtual Stores ◽  
Google Play

BACKGROUND To address the current pandemic, multiple studies have focused on the development of new mHealth applications to help curb the number of infections, these applications aim to accelerate the identification and self-isolation of people exposed to SARS-CoV- 2, the coronavirus known to cause COVID-19, by being in close contact with infected individuals. OBJECTIVE The main objectives of this paper are: 1)To analyze the current status of COVID-19 apps available the main virtual stores: Google Play Store and App Store, and 2)To propose a novel mobile application based on the limitations of the analyzed apps. METHODS The search for apps in this research was carried out in the main virtual stores: Google Play Store and App Store, until May 2021. After the analysis of the selected apps, a novel app is proposed whose main function will be the multiple transmission of information about the patient's symptoms from the application, without the need for phone calls or chat in real time. For its development, the flowchart shown in this session is followed. RESULTS The search yielded a total of 50 apps, of which 24 were relevant to this study. It is important to note that 23 of the apps analyzed are free. Of the total number of apps, 54% are available for Android and iOS operating systems. 50% of the apps have more than 5 thousand downloads. This means that Covid-19 related apps are in high demand among mobile device users today. The developed app is called COVINFO and its name comes from the union of the words COVID-19 and information, inserted in such a way that the user can get an idea of the app's functionality just by listening or reading the resulting name. The application has been created for mobile devices with Android operating system, being compatible with Android 4.4 and higher. CONCLUSIONS Of the apps found, 37.5% only offer information about the virus and the necessary measures to avoid infection. During the analysis it was detected that 12.5% of the apps are focused on locating outbreaks and that none of them have been successful for the following reasons: not being interconnected to share data; and the request for access to the user's geolocation, generating distrust on the part of the user who, consequently, rejects them. This work addresses the development of an application for the transmission of the user's symptoms to his regular doctor, based on the fact that only 16.6% of the existing applications have this functionality. The COVINFO app offers a service that no other application on the market has: doctor-patient interaction without the need for calls or chat in real time for constant monitoring by the doctor of the patient's condition and evolution.

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