Win Big Fast! An Evaluation of Mobile Applications Available in Australia for Problem Gambling

With the increase in availability of gambling applications (apps) for mobile phones, it has never been easier for individuals to access gaming systems. A proportion of these users will be affected by gambling disorder (GD). Traditional therapies for GD can be geographically and financially difficult to access. Mobile health apps can be useful for other addictions and provide another avenue of treatment for GD. Our objective in this study was to review the features, models of treatment, and aims of apps marketed to assist people in addressing their gambling. We searched the three largest app stores in Australia and performed a descriptive analysis based on the Mobile App Rating Scale of the apps purporting to be of assistance in managing GD or problem gambling. The number of apps available for addressing GD in Australia was vastly outnumbered by the number of apps for gambling or gaming. Apps that met the inclusion criteria most often aimed at total cessation of gambling, but did not use a recognizable therapeutic model. A majority of apps featured a single tool, most often a sober time tracker. Few of the apps were affiliated with existing services, and those that were tended to have a broader range of features and tools. Mobile apps present another way for individuals who are struggling with GD or problem gambling to access treatment. For apps to be effective, more attention needs to be paid to their design in order for them to be both useful and noticeable in the milieu of more invitingly designed apps that promote gambling.RésuméÉtant donné le nombre grandissant d’applications de jeux de hasard pour téléphone mobile, il n’a jamais été aussi facile d’accéder à des systèmes de jeu. Un certain nombre des utilisateurs de ces appareils développeront une dépendance au jeu (DJ). Les thérapies conventionnelles en matière de DJ peuvent être difficiles d’accès en raison de la distance géographique et de leur coût. Les applications mobiles dédiées à la santé, parfois pour traiter d’autres formes de dépendance, pourraient offrir des possibilités de traitement du jeu pathologique. Nous avons analysé les caractéristiques, les modèles de traitement et les objectifs des applications qui prétendent aider les individus à dominer leur DP. Nous avons fouillé les trois principales boutiques d’applications d’Australie à la recherche de tels produits, puis les avons soumis à une analyse descriptive fondée sur un Mobile App Rating Scale [échelle d’évaluation des applications mobiles]. Le nombre d’applications destinées au contrôle de la DJ est largement inférieur à celui des produits dédiés à la pratique des jeux de hasard et des jeux vidéo. Les applications retenues visent pour la plupart l’abandon définitif du jeu, sans reposer sur un modèle thérapeutique reconnaissable. La majorité comporte un seul et unique outil, soit un dispositif de minutage du temps passé sans jouer. Quelques-unes sont jumelées à des services existants; elles tendent à offrir un éventail plus grand de caractéristiques et d’outils. Les applications mobiles offrent aux personnes aux prises avec une dépendance au jeu une autre voie d’accès au traitement. Pour améliorer leur efficacité, toutefois, il faudra accorder une plus grande attention à leur conception et faire en sorte qu’elles se démarquent nettement des applications autrement plus attrayantes qui font la promotion du jeu.

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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

The Boller Review ◽

10.18776/tcu/br/4/104 ◽

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.

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Analysis of Secure Apps for Daily Clinical Use by German Orthopedic Surgeons: Searching for the "Needle in a Haystack" (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.17085 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Florian Dittrich ◽

Sascha Beck ◽

Anna Katharina Harren ◽

Felix Reinecke ◽

Sebastian Serong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rating Scale ◽

Mobile App ◽

High Quality ◽

Clinical Routine ◽

Health Apps ◽

App Store ◽

Orthopedic Surgeons ◽

Future Challenges ◽

Mobile Health Apps

BACKGROUND It is undeniable that appropriate smartphone apps offer enormous opportunities for dealing with future challenges in orthopedic surgery and public health, in general. However, it is still unclear how the apps currently available in the two major app stores can be used in daily clinical routine by German orthopedic surgeons. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to gain evidence regarding the quantity and quality of apps available in the two major app stores and their suitability for use by orthopedic surgeons in Germany. METHODS We conducted a systematic, keyword-based app store screening to obtain evidence concerning the quantity and quality of commercially available apps. Apps that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated using the <i>app synopsis–checklist for users</i> and the German Mobile App Rating Scale for secure use, trustworthiness, and quality. RESULTS The investigation revealed serious shortcomings regarding legal and medical aspects. Furthermore, most apps turned out to be useless and unsuitable for the clinical field of application (4242/4249, 99.84%). Finally, 7 trustworthy and high-quality apps (7/4249, 0.16%) offering secure usage in the daily clinical routine of orthopedists were identified. These apps mainly focused on education (5/7). None of them were CE (Conformité Européenne) certified. Moreover, there are no studies providing evidence that these apps have any positive use whatsoever. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained in our study suggest that the number of trustworthy and high-quality apps on offer is extremely low. Nowadays, finding appropriate apps in the fast-moving, complex, dynamic, and rudimentarily controlled app stores is most challenging. Promising approaches, for example, systematic app store screenings, app-rating developments, reviews or app libraries, and the creation of consistent standards have been established. However, further efforts are necessary to ensure that these innovative mobile health apps not only provide the correct information but are also safe to use in daily clinical practice.

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Quality Evaluation of English Mobile Applications for Gestational Diabetes: App Review using Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS)

Current Diabetes Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573399816666200703181438 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sharareh Rostam Niakan Kalhori ◽

Morteza Hemmat ◽

Tayebe Noori ◽

Saeede Heydarian ◽

Meysam Rahmani Katigari

Keyword(s):

Gestational Diabetes ◽

Mobile Applications ◽

English Language ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Exclusion Process ◽

Mobile App ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Health Apps ◽

Mobile Health Apps

Background: Mobile applications and social media serve their users as convenient tools to improve and monitor diseases and conditions such as pregnancy. These tools exert a positive impact on Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) self-management. Introduction: Despite the expansion of mobile health apps for the management of GDM, no study has evaluated these apps using a valid tool. This study aimed to search and review the apps developed for this purpose providing overall and specific rating scores for each aspect of MARS. Method: Two cases of app stores (IOS and Google Play) were searched in January 2019 for apps related to GDM. Search keywords included “gestational diabetes”, “pregnant diabetes”, and “Health apps”. Eligibility criteria include: capable of running on Android or IOS operating systems, in the English language, especially for GDM, and available in Iran. After removal of duplicates, then, they were reviewed, rated, and evaluated independently by two reviewers with Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) tools. Results: Initially, 102 apps were identified after the exclusion process, five selected apps were downloaded and analyzed. All apps were classified into four categories according to contents and their interactive capabilities. In most quadrants of MARS, the Pregnant with Diabetes app received the highest scores. Also, in general, the maximum app quality mean score belonged to Pregnant with Diabetes (3.10 / 5.00). Conclusion: Findings revealed that apps designed for GDM are small in number and poor in quality based on MARS tools. Therefore, considering pregnant women’s need for using the capabilities of these apps in pregnancy management and promoting community-based care, it seems essential to develop and design a series of high-quality apps in all four specified categories (only giving comments, obtaining data and giving comments, diagnosis of GDM, and diet calculator).

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Multipurpose Mobile Apps for Mental Health in Chinese App Stores: Content Analysis and Quality Evaluation (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.34054 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaoqian Wu ◽

Lin Xu ◽

PengFei Li ◽

TingTing Tang ◽

Cheng Huang

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Scientific Basis ◽

Mobile App ◽

Security Measures ◽

Privacy And Security ◽

Health Apps ◽

Mental Health Awareness ◽

Privacy Measures

BACKGROUND Mental disorders impose varying degrees of burden on patients and their surroundings. However, people are reluctant to take the initiative to seek mental health services because of the uneven distribution of resources and stigmatization. Thus, mobile apps are considered an effective way to eliminate these obstacles and improve mental health awareness. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the quality, function, privacy measures, and evidence-based and professional background of multipurpose mental health apps in Chinese commercial app stores. METHODS A systematic search was conducted on iOS and Android platforms in China to identify multipurpose mental health apps. Two independent reviewers evaluated the identified mobile apps using Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Each app was downloaded, and the general characteristics, privacy and security measures, development background, and functional characteristics of each app were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 40 apps were analyzed, of which 35 apps (87.5%) were developed by companies and 33 apps (82.5%) provided links to access the privacy policy; 52.5% did not mention the involvement of relevant professionals or the guidance of scientific basis in the app development process. The main built-in functions of these apps include psychological education (38/40, 95%), self-assessment (34/40, 85%), and counseling (33/40, 83%). The overall quality average MARS score of the 40 apps was 3.53 (standard deviation 0.39), and the total score was between 2.96 and 4.30. The total score of MARS was significantly positively correlated with the scores of each subscale (r = 0.62–0.88; P <.001). However, the user score of the app market was not significantly correlated with the total score of MARS (r = 0.23; P =.19). CONCLUSIONS The quality of multipurpose mental health apps in China’s main app market is generally good and provides various functional combinations. However, health professionals are less involved in the development of these apps, and the privacy protection policy of the apps also needs to be described in more detail. This study provides a reference for the development of multipurpose mental health apps.

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Mobile Apps for Health Behavior Change: Protocol for a Systematic Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.16931 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Madison Milne-Ives ◽

Ching Lam ◽

Michelle Helena Van Velthoven ◽

Edward Meinert

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Health Behavior Change ◽

Mobile App ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Health Apps ◽

Mobile Health Apps

BACKGROUND The popularity and ubiquity of mobile apps have rapidly expanded in the past decade. With a growing focus on patient interaction with health management, mobile apps are increasingly used to monitor health and deliver behavioral interventions. The considerable variation in these mobile health apps, from their target patient group to their health behavior, and their behavioral change strategy, has resulted in a large but incohesive body of literature. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this protocol is to provide an overview of the current landscape, theories behind, and effectiveness of mobile apps for health behavior change. METHODS The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols will be used to structure this protocol. The focus of the systematic review is guided by a population, intervention, comparator, and outcome framework. A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science will be conducted. Two authors will independently screen the titles and abstracts of identified references and select studies according to the eligibility criteria. Any discrepancies will then be discussed and resolved. One reviewer will extract data into a standardized form, which will be validated by a second reviewer. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool, and a descriptive analysis will summarize the effectiveness of all the apps. RESULTS As of November 2019, the systematic review has been completed and is in peer review for publication. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review will summarize the current mobile app technologies and their effectiveness, usability, and coherence with behavior change theory. It will identify areas of improvement (where there is no evidence of efficacy) and help inform the development of more useful and engaging mobile health apps. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/16931

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Mobile Apps for Health Behavior Change: Protocol for a Systematic Review

JMIR Research Protocols ◽

10.2196/16931 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e16931

Author(s):

Madison Milne-Ives ◽

Ching Lam ◽

Michelle Helena Van Velthoven ◽

Edward Meinert

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Health Behavior Change ◽

Mobile App ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Health Apps ◽

Mobile Health Apps

Background The popularity and ubiquity of mobile apps have rapidly expanded in the past decade. With a growing focus on patient interaction with health management, mobile apps are increasingly used to monitor health and deliver behavioral interventions. The considerable variation in these mobile health apps, from their target patient group to their health behavior, and their behavioral change strategy, has resulted in a large but incohesive body of literature. Objective The purpose of this protocol is to provide an overview of the current landscape, theories behind, and effectiveness of mobile apps for health behavior change. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols will be used to structure this protocol. The focus of the systematic review is guided by a population, intervention, comparator, and outcome framework. A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Web of Science will be conducted. Two authors will independently screen the titles and abstracts of identified references and select studies according to the eligibility criteria. Any discrepancies will then be discussed and resolved. One reviewer will extract data into a standardized form, which will be validated by a second reviewer. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias tool, and a descriptive analysis will summarize the effectiveness of all the apps. Results As of November 2019, the systematic review has been completed and is in peer review for publication. Conclusions This systematic review will summarize the current mobile app technologies and their effectiveness, usability, and coherence with behavior change theory. It will identify areas of improvement (where there is no evidence of efficacy) and help inform the development of more useful and engaging mobile health apps. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42019155604; https://tinyurl.com/sno4lcu International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/16931

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Analysis of Secure Apps for Daily Clinical Use by German Orthopedic Surgeons: Searching for the "Needle in a Haystack"

JMIR mhealth and uhealth ◽

10.2196/17085 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. e17085 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Florian Dittrich ◽

Sascha Beck ◽

Anna Katharina Harren ◽

Felix Reinecke ◽

Sebastian Serong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rating Scale ◽

Mobile App ◽

High Quality ◽

Clinical Routine ◽

Health Apps ◽

App Store ◽

Orthopedic Surgeons ◽

Future Challenges ◽

Mobile Health Apps

Background It is undeniable that appropriate smartphone apps offer enormous opportunities for dealing with future challenges in orthopedic surgery and public health, in general. However, it is still unclear how the apps currently available in the two major app stores can be used in daily clinical routine by German orthopedic surgeons. Objective This study aimed to gain evidence regarding the quantity and quality of apps available in the two major app stores and their suitability for use by orthopedic surgeons in Germany. Methods We conducted a systematic, keyword-based app store screening to obtain evidence concerning the quantity and quality of commercially available apps. Apps that met the inclusion criteria were evaluated using the app synopsis–checklist for users and the German Mobile App Rating Scale for secure use, trustworthiness, and quality. Results The investigation revealed serious shortcomings regarding legal and medical aspects. Furthermore, most apps turned out to be useless and unsuitable for the clinical field of application (4242/4249, 99.84%). Finally, 7 trustworthy and high-quality apps (7/4249, 0.16%) offering secure usage in the daily clinical routine of orthopedists were identified. These apps mainly focused on education (5/7). None of them were CE (Conformité Européenne) certified. Moreover, there are no studies providing evidence that these apps have any positive use whatsoever. Conclusions The data obtained in our study suggest that the number of trustworthy and high-quality apps on offer is extremely low. Nowadays, finding appropriate apps in the fast-moving, complex, dynamic, and rudimentarily controlled app stores is most challenging. Promising approaches, for example, systematic app store screenings, app-rating developments, reviews or app libraries, and the creation of consistent standards have been established. However, further efforts are necessary to ensure that these innovative mobile health apps not only provide the correct information but are also safe to use in daily clinical practice.

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Assessment and Prediction of Privacy Concerns on Health Apps (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.20409 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Reham AlTamime ◽

Vincent Marmion ◽

Wendy Hall

Keyword(s):

Data Sharing ◽

Mobile Applications ◽

Retention Rate ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Third Party ◽

Privacy Concerns ◽

Health Apps ◽

Mobile Health Apps ◽

Specific Factors ◽

And Control

BACKGROUND Mobile apps and IoT-enabled smartphones technologies facilitate collecting, sharing, and inferring from a vast amount of data about individuals’ location, health conditions, mobility status, and other factors. The use of such technology highlights the importance of understanding individuals’ privacy concerns to design applications that integrate their privacy expectations and requirements. OBJECTIVE This paper explores, assesses, and predicts individuals’ privacy concerns in relation to collecting and disclosing data on mobile health apps. METHODS We designed a questionnaire to identify participants’ privacy concerns pertaining to a set of 432 mobile apps’ data collection and sharing scenarios. Participants were presented with 27 scenarios that varied across three categorical factors: (1) type of data collected (e.g. health, demographic, behavioral, and location); (2) data sharing (e.g., whether it is shared, and for what purpose); and, (3) retention rate (e.g., forever, until the purpose is satisfied, unspecified, week, or year). RESULTS Our findings show that type of data, data sharing, and retention rate are all factors that affect individuals’ privacy concerns. However, specific factors such as collecting and disclosing health data to a third-party tracker play a larger role than other factors in triggering privacy concerns. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that it is possible to predict privacy concerns based on these three factors. We propose design approaches that can improve users’ awareness and control of their data on mobile applications

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The App Rating Inventory: A Novel Method for Evaluating Mobile Apps (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.32643 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rachel Mackey ◽

Ann Gleason ◽

Robert Ciulla

Keyword(s):

Market Research ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Scoring Systems ◽

Disease Category ◽

Broad Application ◽

Health Apps ◽

Mobile Health Apps ◽

Positive Score ◽

Novel Method ◽

Objective Rating

BACKGROUND A prodigious number of mobile health apps have flooded the market. The lack of guidelines for identifying high-quality apps from the overwhelming number of available apps creates confusion forestalling clinical adoption. OBJECTIVE The Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) Connected Health Branch developed the app rating inventory (ARI), an objective rating system with capability for broad application across condition areas. METHODS During the development of the ARI, three rounds of testing were conducted to enhance the tool’s performance, reduce redundancy, validate the ARI’s broad application, and assess potential subjectivity. RESULTS The ARI is a 28-item, three-criterion tool. The evidence criterion contains six items, and the content and customizability criterion each contain eleven items. Scoring is based on a simple binary system: either the app contains the feature or it does not. The 28 items are weighted equally; no one item is considered more (or less) important than any other. Each rated app receives four scores: a score for evidence, content, and customizability, and a total score (the sum of the three categories.). Higher scores indicate that the app obtained a positive score on more items than a similar app with a lower score. The evidence, content and customizability scores allow a clinician to make focused decisions when selecting an app for clinical use. CONCLUSIONS Using a two-phased process (market research followed by ratings), the ARI is able to evaluate apps for evidence, content and customizability. Scoring systems provide guidance; they filter down hundreds of apps in a disease category to a handful for consideration. Indeed, apps are not new medicine; in many cases, they are a novel delivery system for proven interventions.

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Mobile Health Apps for Medical Emergencies: Systematic Review

JMIR mhealth and uhealth ◽

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.

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