Evaluating and selecting mobile health apps: strategies for healthcare providers and healthcare organizations
Boudreaux, Edwin D ; Waring, Molly E. ; Hayes, Rashelle B. ; Sadasivam, Rajani S ; Mullen, Sean ; Pagoto, Sherry L.
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Health behavior
Health promotion
Mobile health
e-health
UMCCTS funding
Behavioral Disciplines and Activities
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms
Communication Technology and New Media
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Health Communication
Health Information Technology
Health Services Administration
Preventive Medicine
Social Media
Translational Medical Research
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Abstract
Mobile applications (apps) to improve health are proliferating, but before healthcare providers or organizations can recommend an app to the patients they serve, they need to be confident the app will be user-friendly and helpful for the target disease or behavior. This paper summarizes seven strategies for evaluating and selecting health-related apps: (1) Review the scientific literature, (2) Search app clearinghouse websites, (3) Search app stores, (4) Review app descriptions, user ratings, and reviews, (5) Conduct a social media query within professional and, if available, patient networks, (6) Pilot the apps, and (7) Elicit feedback from patients. The paper concludes with an illustrative case example. Because of the enormous range of quality among apps, strategies for evaluating them will be necessary for adoption to occur in a way that aligns with core values in healthcare, such as the Hippocratic principles of nonmaleficence and beneficence.
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Transl Behav Med. 2014 Dec;4(4):363-71. doi: 10.1007/s13142-014-0293-9. Link to article on publisher's site