scholarly journals A Survey on Trend, Opportunities and Challenges of mHealth Apps

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaidah Jusoh
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Literature Survey ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Current State ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

Advancement of mobile technologies such as smartphones and PC tablets has given a great impact on healthcare systems. The mobile technology offers innovative approaches to addressing complex health concerns. Many mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are currently available on marketplaces. These apps are designed to facilitate various health issues and problems, and are intended to be used outside clinics.  However, very little research has been conducted to address trend, opportunities, and challenging issues of the apps. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current state of mHealth. A literature survey was conducted. Major findings of this study include, smartphones will be the major platform for mHealth apps, the number of published software is much higher than published scientific research, current mHealth apps lacking in grounded based theory and evaluation, and security and usability issues are still vulnerable. The findings suggest that involvement of all healthcare stakeholders is critical to the success of mHealth apps.

EFFECTIVNESS OF SPECIFIC MOBILE HEALTH APPLICATIONS (mHEALTH-APPS)in GESTATIONAL DIABTETES MELLITUS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Eberle ◽  
Maxine Löhnert
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Health ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Clinical Parameters ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) emerges worldwide and is closely associated with short- and long-term health issues in women and their offspring, such as pregnancy and birth complications respectively comorbidities, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) as well as cardiovascular disease (CD). Against this background mobile health applications (mHealth-Apps) do open up new possibilities to improve the management of GDM clearly. OBJECTIVE Since there is – to our knowledge – no systematic literature review published, which focusses on the effectiveness of specific mHealth-Apps on clinical health-related short and long-term outcomes of mother and child, we conducted these much-needed analyses. METHODS Data sources: A systematic literature search in Medline (Pubmed), Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science was performed including full text publications since 2008 up to date. An additional manual search in references and Google Scholar was conducted subsequently. Study Eligibility Criteria: Women diagnosed with GDM using specific mHealth-Apps during pregnancy compared to control groups, which met main clinical parameters and outcomes in GDM management as well as maternity and offspring care. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Study quality was assessed and rated “strong”, “moderate” or “weak” by using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Study results were strongly categorized by outcomes; an additional qualitative summary was assessed. Study selection: Overall, n= 114 studies were analyzed, n= 46 duplicates were removed, n=5 studies met the eligible criteria and n=1 study was assessed by manual search subsequently. In total, n=6 publications, analyzing n=408 GDM patients in the interventional and n=405 women diagnosed with GDM in the control groups, were included. These studies were divided into n=5 two-arm randomized controlled trials (RCT) and n=1 controlled clinical trial (CCT). RESULTS Distinct improvements in clinical parameters and outcomes, such as fasting blood glucoses (FBG), 2-hour postprandial blood glucoses (PBG), off target blood glucose measurements (OTBG), delivery modes and patient compliance were analyzed in GDM patients using specific mHealth-Apps compared to matched control groups. CONCLUSIONS mHealth-Apps clearly improve clinical outcomes in management of GDM effectively. More studies need to be done more in detail.

The Functionality, Quality and Consistency with International Guidelines of Asthma Mobile Health Applications: Protocol for a Systematic Review. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Billy Robinson ◽  
Enying Gong ◽  
Brian Oldenburg ◽  
Katharine See
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Airflow Limitation ◽  
Significant Variable ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Gina Guidelines ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder defined clinically as a combination of typical respiratory symptoms, and significant variable reversible airflow limitation. In addition to pharmacotherapy, a key aspect of asthma management is empowering patients to manage their condition and recognise and respond to asthma exacerbations. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) represent a potential medium through which patients could improve the ability to self-manage their asthma. Few studies have conducted a systematic evaluation of both free and paid asthma mobile applications for the quality and functionality of the apps using a validated tool and to our knowledge none have systematically assessed these applications for the quality of information that they provide compared to available international best practice guidelines. This represents the first study that will undertake both of these evaluations for all available mHealth Apps in Australia targeted towards adult asthmatics. The Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines represent a regularly updated guideline based on reviews of the available scientific literature by an international panel of experts. This review will examine the functionality and quality of available asthma mobile health applications and the consistency of these available applications with recommendations from the GINA guidelines. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of adult-targeted asthma mobile health applications on the Australian market. As part of this review the potential for an mHealth app to improve asthma self-management and the overall quality of the application will be evaluated, using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) framework, and the quality of the information within an app, using the current GINA guidelines as a reference, will be assessed. METHODS A methodological stepwise approach was taken in creating this review. First the most recent GINA guidelines were independently reviewed by two authors to identify key recommendations that could feasibly be incorporated into a mHealth app. These identified recommendations were then compared to a previously developed asthma application assessment framework. A modified assessment framework was created, ensuring all of these identified recommendations were included. Two popular App stores were then reviewed to identify potential mHealth Apps and then a screening process based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria occurred to establish what mHealth Apps would be evaluated. Application evaluation then occurred. Technical information was obtained from publicly available information on the application store or within the app itself. The next step was to perform an application quality assessment using the validated MARS framework to objectively determine the quality of the application. Application functionality was then assessed using the IMS Institute for Health Informatics Functionality Scoring system. Finally, the mHealth applications will be assessed using a checklist that we have developed based on what was identified from the international GINA guidelines. RESULTS To date, funding has been received for the project from the Respiratory Department at Northern Health, Victoria. Three reviewers have been recruited to systematically evaluate the applications. Results for this study are expected by the end of this year. CONCLUSIONS Nil as protocol CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO 269894

scholarly journals Patient Self-Management of Asthma Using Mobile Health Applications: A Systematic Review of the Functionalities and Effects

2017 ◽  
Vol 08 (04) ◽  
pp. 1068-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Farzandipour ◽  
Ehsan Nabovati ◽  
Reihane Sharif ◽  
Marzieh Arani ◽  
Shima Anvari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

Objective The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence regarding the effects of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) for self-management outcomes in patients with asthma and to assess the functionalities of effective interventions. Methods We systematically searched Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. We included English-language studies that evaluated the effects of smartphone or tablet computer apps on self-management outcomes in asthmatic patients. The characteristics of these studies, effects of interventions, and features of mHealth apps were extracted. Results A total of 10 studies met all the inclusion criteria. Outcomes that were assessed in the included studies were categorized into three groups (clinical, patient-reported, and economic). mHealth apps improved asthma control (five studies) and lung function (two studies) from the clinical outcomes. From the patient-reported outcomes, quality of life (three studies) was statistically significantly improved, while there was no significant impact on self-efficacy scores (two studies). Effects on economic outcomes were equivocal, so that the number of visits (in two studies) and admission and hospitalization-relevant outcomes (in one study) statistically significantly improved; and in four other studies, these outcomes did not improve significantly. mHealth apps features were categorized into seven categories (inform, instruct, record, display, guide, remind/alert, and communicate). Eight of the 10 mHealth apps included more than one functionality. Nearly all interventions had the functionality of recording user-entered data and half of them had the functionality of providing educational information and reminders to patients. Conclusion Multifunctional mHealth apps have good potential in the control of asthma and in improving the quality of life in such patients compared with traditional interventions. Further studies are needed to identify the effectiveness of these interventions on outcomes related to medication adherence and costs.

scholarly journals Design Considerations for Mobile Health Applications Targeting Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Clara Li ◽  
Judith Neugroschl ◽  
Carolyn W. Zhu ◽  
Amy Aloysi ◽  
Corbett A. Schimming ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Health Applications

Mobile technologies are becoming ubiquitous in the world, changing the way we communicate and provide patient care and services. Some of the most compelling benefits of mobile technologies are in the areas of disease prevention, health management, and care delivery. For all the advances that are occurring in mobile health, its full potential for older adults is only starting to emerge. Yet, existing mobile health applications have design flaws that may limit usability by older adults. The aim of this paper is to review barriers and identify knowledge gaps where more research is needed to improve the accessibility of mobile health use in aging populations. The same observations might apply to those who are not elderly, including individuals suffering from severe mental or medical illnesses.

Mobile Technologies in the Emergency Department

2016 ◽  
pp. 1707-1717
Author(s):  
Judith W. Dexheimer ◽  
Elizabeth M. Borycki
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Smart Phones ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State ◽  
The World ◽  
Device Use

Hand-held and mobile technology is steadily expanding in popularity throughout the world. Mobile technologies (e.g. mobile phones, tablets, and smart phones) are increasingly being used in Emergency Departments (ED) around the world. As part of this international trend towards introducing mobile technologies into the ED, health professionals (e.g. physicians, nurses) are now being afforded opportunities to access patient information and decision supports anywhere and anytime in the ED. In this chapter, the authors present a model that describes the current state of the research involving mobile device use in the ED, and they identify key future directions where mobile technology use is concerned.

An assessment of the effects of widespread use of mobile applications in the health sector: An exploratory study of its success and failures

2016 ◽  
pp. 145-149
Author(s):  
Nadire Cavus
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Warning Systems ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Health Applications

Abstract Prior to the introduction of mobile technologies, the manual system of checking patients’ vital signs after approximately seven hours increased the health risk of the patients. Some of the patients’ health was jeopardised, worsening their situation, others re-admitted and others even passing on. The introduction and extensive use of mobile technologies has transformed the delivery of health care. Mobile applications with early warning systems are now dominating the health sector in an attempt to alert medical practitioners to act promptly to the patients’ needs. This paper reviews effects of mobile applications in the health sector as well as the success and failures of Mobile health applications. The assimilation of mobile applications in health care is marking an incredible venture in the health care industry. Keywords: mHealth, mobile applications, success, failures, health sector, mobile technologies, adoption, patients, hospitals.

scholarly journals Effectivness of specific mobile health applications (mHealth-apps) in gestational diabtetes mellitus: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Eberle ◽  
Maxine Loehnert ◽  
Stefanie Stichling
Keyword(s):  
Blood Glucose ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Postprandial Blood Glucose ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

Abstract Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) emerges worldwide and is closely associated with short- and long-term health issues in women and their offspring, such as pregnancy and birth complications respectively comorbidities, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), metabolic syndrome as well as cardiovascular diseases. Against this background, mobile health applications (mHealth-Apps) do open up new possibilities to improve the management of GDM. Therefore, we analyzed the clinical effectiveness of specific mHealth-Apps on clinical health-related short and long-term outcomes in mother and child. Methods A systematic literature search in Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science Core Collection databases as well as Google Scholar was performed. We selected studies published 2008 to 2020 analyzing women diagnosed with GDM using specific mHealth-Apps. Controlled clinical trials (CCT) and randomized controlled trials (RCT) were included. Study quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool. Results In total, n = 6 publications (n = 5 RCTs, n = 1 CCT; and n = 4 moderate, n = 2 weak quality), analyzing n = 408 GDM patients in the intervention and n = 405 in the control groups, were included. Compared to control groups, fasting blood glucose, 2-h postprandial blood glucose, off target blood glucose measurements, delivery mode (more vaginal deliveries and fewer (emergency) caesarean sections) and patient compliance showed improving trends. Conclusion mHealth-Apps might improve health-related outcomes, particularly glycemic control, in the management of GDM. Further studies need to be done in more detail.

scholarly journals Public Perceptions around mHealth Applications during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Network and Sentiment Analysis of Tweets in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13388
Author(s):  
Samar Binkheder ◽  
Raniah N. Aldekhyyel ◽  
Alanoud AlMogbel ◽  
Nora Al-Twairesh ◽  
Nuha Alhumaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

A series of mitigation efforts were implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia, including the development of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) for the public. Assessing the acceptability of mHealth apps among the public is crucial. This study aimed to use Twitter to understand public perceptions around the use of six Saudi mHealth apps used during COVID-19: “Sehha”, “Mawid”, “Sehhaty”, “Tetamman”, “Tawakkalna”, and “Tabaud”. We used two methodological approaches: network and sentiment analysis. We retrieved Twitter data using specific mHealth apps-related keywords. After including relevant tweets, our final mHealth app networks consisted of a total of 4995 Twitter users and 8666 conversational relationships. The largest networks in size (i.e., the number of users) and volume (i.e., the conversational relationships) among all were “Tawakkalna” followed by “Tabaud”, and their conversations were led by diverse governmental accounts. In contrast, the four remaining mHealth networks were mainly led by the health sector and media. Our sentiment analysis approach included five classes and showed that most conversations were neutral, which included facts or information pieces and general inquires. For the automated sentiment classifier, we used Support Vector Machine with AraVec embeddings as it outperformed the other tested classifiers. The sentiment classifier showed an accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score of 85%. Future studies can use social media and real-time analytics to improve mHealth apps’ services and user experience, especially during health crises.

The Functionality, Quality and Consistency with International Guidelines of Asthma Mobile Health Applications: Protocol for a Systematic Review. (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Billy Robinson ◽  
Enying Gong ◽  
Brian Oldenburg ◽  
Katharine See
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Best Practice Guidelines ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Gina Guidelines ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

BACKGROUND Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder which requires long-term pharmacotherapy and patient empowerment to manage their condition and recognise and respond to asthma exacerbations. Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) represent a potential medium through which patients could improve the ability to self-manage their asthma. Few studies have conducted a systematic evaluation of asthma mobile applications for the quality and functionality of the apps using a validated tool. None of these reviews have systematically assessed these applications for their content compared to available international best practice guidelines. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review of adult-targeted asthma mobile health applications. As part of this review the potential for an mHealth app to improve asthma self-management and the overall quality of the application will be evaluated, using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) framework, and the quality of the information within an app, using the current Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines as a reference, will be assessed. METHODS A methodological stepwise approach was taken in creating this review. First the most recent GINA guidelines were independently reviewed by two authors to identify key recommendations that could feasibly be incorporated into a mHealth app. A previously developed asthma assessment framework was identified and modified to suit our research and ensure all of these identified recommendations were included. Two popular App stores were then reviewed to identify potential mHealth Apps. These Apps were screened based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Suitable applications were then evaluated. Technical information was obtained from publicly available information. The next step was to perform an application quality assessment using the validated MARS framework to objectively determine the quality of the application. Application functionality was then assessed using the IMS Institute for Health Informatics Functionality Scoring system. Finally, the mHealth applications will be assessed using a checklist that we have developed. RESULTS To date, funding has been received for the project from the Respiratory Department at Northern Health, Victoria. Three reviewers have been recruited to systematically evaluate the applications. Results for this study are expected by the end of this year. CONCLUSIONS This review represents the first that we know of that will examine all mobile health applications available in Australia targeted to adult asthmatics for their functionality, quality and consistency with international best practice guidelines. Though the review will only be conducted on mHealth Apps available in Australia, many applications are available internationally and thus should be largely generalisable to other English-speaking regions and users. The results of this review will help to fill gaps in the literature and assist clinicians in providing evidence-based advice to adult patients wishing to use mHealth apps as part of their asthma self-management. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO 269894

scholarly journals Use of menstruation and fertility app trackers: a scoping review of the evidence

2020 ◽  
pp. bmjsrh-2019-200488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Earle ◽  
Hannah R Marston ◽  
Robin Hadley ◽  
Duncan Banks
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Pregnancy Prevention ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Health Tracking ◽  
Mobile Health Applications ◽  
Development Evaluation ◽  
Mhealth Apps ◽  
Health Applications

IntroductionThere has been a phenomenal worldwide increase in the development and use of mobile health applications (mHealth apps) that monitor menstruation and fertility. Critics argue that many of the apps are inaccurate and lack evidence from either clinical trials or user experience. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the research literature on mHealth apps that track menstruation and fertility.MethodsThis project followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. The ACM, CINAHL, Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for material published between 1 January 2010 and 30 April 2019. Data summary and synthesis were used to chart and analyse the data.ResultsIn total 654 records were reviewed. Subsequently, 135 duplicate records and 501 records that did not meet the inclusion criteria were removed. Eighteen records from 13 countries form the basis of this review. The papers reviewed cover a variety of disciplinary and methodological frameworks. Three main themes were identified: fertility and reproductive health tracking, pregnancy planning, and pregnancy prevention.ConclusionsMotivations for fertility app use are varied, overlap and change over time, although women want apps that are accurate and evidence-based regardless of whether they are tracking their fertility, planning a pregnancy or using the app as a form of contraception. There is a lack of critical debate and engagement in the development, evaluation, usage and regulation of fertility and menstruation apps. The paucity of evidence-based research and absence of fertility, health professionals and users in studies is raised.

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