scholarly journals The Quality of Mobile Apps Used for the Identification of Pressure Ulcers in Adults: Systematic Survey and Review of Apps in App Stores

10.2196/14266 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. e14266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Koepp ◽  
Miriam Viviane Baron ◽  
Paulo Ricardo Hernandes Martins ◽  
Cristine Brandenburg ◽  
Ariane Tieko Frare Kira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Software Quality ◽  
Pressure Ulcers ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
End Users ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Electrotechnical Commission ◽  
Systematic Survey ◽  
App Development

Background The increasing global use of smartphones has contributed to the growing use of apps for various health conditions, showing promising results. Through mobile apps, it is possible to perform chronological and iconographic follow-up of wounds, such as pressure ulcers, using a simple and practical tool. However, numerous surveys have pointed out issues related to the functionality, design, safety, and veracity of app information. Objective The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published studies regarding mobile apps and a systematic survey in app stores looking for apps developed to identify, evaluate, treat, and/or prevent pressure ulcers in adults, and to evaluate those apps based on software quality characteristics. Methods This review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The main bibliographic databases were searched between January 1, 2007 and October 15, 2018, and an app survey was performed in app stores. The selected studies were evaluated according to software quality characteristics by the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ie, ISO/IEC 25010:2011) that involve functionality, efficiency, compatibility, usability, reliability, safety, maintenance, and portability. Results The search in databases and web-based app stores returned a total of 2075 studies. After removal of duplicates and screening of titles and abstracts, 48 complete articles were evaluated for eligibility, and among these, six were included for qualitative synthesis. Conclusions In this review, it was observed that all studies involved the initial phase of app development or improvement, and therefore, the apps still need to be evaluated using different software quality characteristics, so that in the future, a gold standard can be approached. Therefore, the prescription of an app for the identification, evaluation, treatment, and/or prevention of pressure ulcers in adults is currently limited. However, the evaluated studies provided important insights for future research. It is of utmost importance that future surveys develop apps jointly with users, using collaborative and cocreative processes and assess patients in real-world situations across different service settings, and they should consider different ethnicities, so that apps are useful to end users, such as patients, family members, health professionals, and students, in the health area. In addition, it is necessary for studies to describe the methodological course of app development in a clear and objective way in order to ensure reproducibility of the study and to offer inputs to allow future research to approach the development of ideal apps that are geared to positively impact the health of end users. Trial Registration PROSPERO CRD42018114137; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=114137

scholarly journals The Quality of Mobile Apps Used for the Identification of Pressure Ulcers in Adults: Systematic Survey and Review of Apps in App Stores (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Koepp ◽  
Miriam Viviane Baron ◽  
Paulo Ricardo Hernandes Martins ◽  
Cristine Brandenburg ◽  
Ariane Tieko Frare Kira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Software Quality ◽  
Pressure Ulcers ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
End Users ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
International Electrotechnical Commission ◽  
Systematic Survey ◽  
App Development

BACKGROUND The increasing global use of smartphones has contributed to the growing use of apps for various health conditions, showing promising results. Through mobile apps, it is possible to perform chronological and iconographic follow-up of wounds, such as pressure ulcers, using a simple and practical tool. However, numerous surveys have pointed out issues related to the functionality, design, safety, and veracity of app information. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of published studies regarding mobile apps and a systematic survey in app stores looking for apps developed to identify, evaluate, treat, and/or prevent pressure ulcers in adults, and to evaluate those apps based on software quality characteristics. METHODS This review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The main bibliographic databases were searched between January 1, 2007 and October 15, 2018, and an app survey was performed in app stores. The selected studies were evaluated according to software quality characteristics by the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ie, ISO/IEC 25010:2011) that involve functionality, efficiency, compatibility, usability, reliability, safety, maintenance, and portability. RESULTS The search in databases and web-based app stores returned a total of 2075 studies. After removal of duplicates and screening of titles and abstracts, 48 complete articles were evaluated for eligibility, and among these, six were included for qualitative synthesis. CONCLUSIONS In this review, it was observed that all studies involved the initial phase of app development or improvement, and therefore, the apps still need to be evaluated using different software quality characteristics, so that in the future, a gold standard can be approached. Therefore, the prescription of an app for the identification, evaluation, treatment, and/or prevention of pressure ulcers in adults is currently limited. However, the evaluated studies provided important insights for future research. It is of utmost importance that future surveys develop apps jointly with users, using collaborative and cocreative processes and assess patients in real-world situations across different service settings, and they should consider different ethnicities, so that apps are useful to end users, such as patients, family members, health professionals, and students, in the health area. In addition, it is necessary for studies to describe the methodological course of app development in a clear and objective way in order to ensure reproducibility of the study and to offer inputs to allow future research to approach the development of ideal apps that are geared to positively impact the health of end users. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO CRD42018114137; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=114137

scholarly journals Quality of Mobile Apps for Care Partners of People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Mobile App Rating Scale Evaluation (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole E Werner ◽  
Janetta C Brown ◽  
Priya Loganathar ◽  
Richard J Holden
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Future Research ◽  
App Development ◽  
Care Partners ◽  
Acceptable Quality ◽  
The Us ◽  
Google Play

BACKGROUND The over 11 million care partners in the US who provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) cite persistent and pervasive unmet needs related to all aspects of their caregiving role. The proliferation of mobile applications (apps) for care partners has potential to meet the care partners’ needs, but the quality of apps is unknown. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to 1) evaluate the quality of publicly available apps for care partners of people living with ADRD and 2) identify design features of low- and high-quality apps to guide future research and app development. METHODS We searched the US Apple and Google Play app stores with the criteria that the app needed to be 1) available in US Google play or Apple app stores, 2) directly accessible to users “out of the box”, 3) primarily intended for use by an informal (family, friend) caregiver or caregivers of a person with dementia. The included apps were then evaluated using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), which includes descriptive app classification and rating using 23 items across five dimensions: engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information, and subjective quality. Next, we computed descriptive statistics for each rating. To identify recommendations for future research and app development, we categorized rater comments on the score driving factors for each item and what the app could have done to improve the score for that item. RESULTS We evaluated 17 apps (41% iOS only, 12% Android only, 47% both iOS and Android). We found that on average, the apps are of minimally acceptable quality. Although we identified apps above and below minimally acceptable quality, many apps had broken features and were rated as below acceptable for engagement and information. CONCLUSIONS Minimally acceptable quality is likely insufficient to meet care partner needs. Future research should establish minimum quality standards across dimensions for mobile apps for care partners. The design features of high-quality apps we identified in this research can provide the foundation for benchmarking those standards.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Foot Measurement: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashad Kabir ◽  
Sowmen Rahman ◽  
Mohammad Mainul Islam ◽  
Sayed Ahmed ◽  
Craig Laird
Keyword(s):  
Software Quality ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
Foot Care ◽  
Foot Health ◽  
Custom Made ◽  
Care Health

BACKGROUND With the public coverage of smartphones now at a global level, a major growth in the use of apps related to the health category, specifically those concerned with foot health can be observed. Although new, these apps are being used practically for scanning feet with an aim to providing accurate information about various properties of the human foot. With the availability of many ‘foot scanning and measuring apps’ in the commercial market (app stores), the need for an evaluation system for such apps can be deemed necessary as little information regarding the evidence-based quality of these apps is available. OBJECTIVE To characterize the assessment of measurement techniques and essential software quality characteristics of mobile foot measuring apps, and determine their effectiveness for potential use as commercial professional tools for foot care health professionals such as pedorthists, podiatrists, orthotists and so on, to assist in measuring foot for custom shoes, and for individuals to enhance the awareness of foot health and hygiene and prevention of foot-related problems. METHODS An electronic search across Android and iOS app stores was conducted between July 2020 and August 2020 for apps related to foot measurement. Mobile apps with stated goals of foot measurement and general foot health were identified and selected by three independent raters and discrepancies regarding the selected apps were resolved via a fourth rater. A modified rating tool based on previous works of app rating tools was adopted and extended for rating of selected apps. The internal consistency of the rating tool was tested with a group of 6 people who rated the selected app over an interval of 5-6 days. This modified scale was then used to produce evaluation scores for the selected range of foot measurement apps and the inter-rater reliability of this study was also calculated. Discrepancies found for any criteria during app reviews were discussed mutually by the raters to arrive at a unified decision. RESULTS Evaluation inferences found all apps failing to meet even half of the measurement-specific criteria required for the proper manufacturing of custom-made footwear. 23% (6/26) of apps were found to utilize either external scanners or advanced algorithms to reconstruct 3D models of user foot that can possibly be used for ordering custom-made footwear (shoes, insoles/orthoses) and medical casts for fitting irregular foot sizes and shapes. Apps had varying levels of performance and usability, with the overall measurement functionality being subpar with mean 1.97 out of 5. Apps that were linked to online shops and stores (shoe recommending) were assessed to be more usable than other foot measuring apps, but didn’t work with custom shoe sizes and shapes. Overall, current apps for foot measurement do not follow any specific guidelines for measurement purposes. CONCLUSIONS Majority of the commercial apps in app stores cannot be comprehensively evaluated as viable apps ready for use as professional tools in assisting foot care health professionals or individuals in measuring their foot for custom-made footwear purposes. Apps lack software quality characteristics that are needed for proper measurement and for providing awareness about foot health and induce motivation to prevent and cure foot-related problems. Guidelines similar to the essential criteria items in this study are needed to be developed for future apps aimed at foot measurement for custom-made or individually fitted footwear and creating awareness about foot health.

scholarly journals Browser App Approach: Can It Be an Answer to the Challenges in Cross-Platform App Development?

10.28945/3667 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 047-068
Author(s):  
Minh Q. Huynh ◽  
Prashant Ghimire
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Future Research ◽  
High Learning ◽  
App Development ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Cross Platform ◽  
Development Approach ◽  
Hybrid Development

Aim/Purpose: As smartphones proliferate, many different platforms begin to emerge. The challenge to developers as well as IS educators and students is how to learn the skills to design and develop apps to run on cross-platforms. Background: For developers, the purpose of this paper is to describe an alternative to the complex native app development. For IS educators and students, the paper provides a feasible way to learn and develop fully functional mobile apps without technical burdens. Methodology: The methods used in the development of browser-based apps is prototyping. Our proposed approach is browser-based, supports cross-platforms, uses open-source standards, and takes advantage of “write-once-and-run-anywhere” (WORA) concept. Contribution: The paper illustrates the application of the browser-based approach to create a series of browser apps without high learning curve. Findings: The results show the potentials for using browser app approach to teach as well as to create new apps. Recommendations for Practitioners : Our proposed browser app development approach and example would be useful to mobile app developers/IS educators and non-technical students because the source code as well as documentations in this project are available for downloading. Future Research: For further work, we discuss the use of hybrid development framework to enhance browser apps.

scholarly journals Protocol for a systematic review on the experience of informal caregivers for people with a moderate to advanced dementia within a domestic home setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles James ◽  
Catherine Walshe ◽  
Katherine Froggatt
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Informal Caregiving ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advanced Dementia ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Search Terms

Abstract Background The knowledge about the experience of informal caregivers who provide care to people with moderate to advanced dementia in a domestic home setting is limited. A consequence of long hours of caregiving in addition to dealing with normal challenges of daily living is their experience of a poor quality of life. Some of their experiences may be described in terms of a feeling of powerlessness to make changes during care provision. This feeling may also suggest an experience of moral distress. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesise qualitative evidence relating to these experiences. Methods This review adopts a narrative synthesis approach. A search will be conducted for studies written in the English language in the bibliographic databases MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Academic Search Complete covering periods from 1984 to present. Included studies will be qualitative or mixed-methods designs. The search terms will be related to dementia and caregivers, and the process will be focused on dementia at the moderate to the advanced stages within the domestic home setting. Reference lists of included papers will also be searched for additional relevant citations. Search terms and strategies will be checked by two independent reviewers. The identification of abstracts and full texts of studies will be done by the author, while the quality and the risk of bias will also be checked by the two independent reviewers. Discussion Psychological distress is cited as an experience reported within informal caregiving. For the caregiver, it is associated with a negative impact on general health. To date, no synthesis exists on the specific experience of informal caregiving for people with moderate to advanced dementia within the domestic home setting. This review considers that variation of accounts contributes to how the informal caregivers’ general experience is explored in future research. This may enable gaps in current knowledge to be highlighted within the wider context of caregiving in the domestic home setting. Systematic review registration This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020183649).

Behavior change techniques in mobile apps targeting self-harm in young people: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Panagiotopoulou ◽  
Celeste Peiris ◽  
Daniel Hayes
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Dialectical Behavior Therapy ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Behavior Change Techniques ◽  
Other Information ◽  
Self Harm

Abstract Despite the high prevalence of self-harm among young people, as well as their extensive use of mobile apps for seeking support with their mental healthcare, it is unclear whether the design of mobile apps aimed at targeting self-harm is underpinned by behavior change techniques (BCTs). To systematically analyze and identify (a) what BCTs and (b) what theories are present in self-harm apps for young people in an attempt to understand their active components. Systematic searches in Apple store, followed by thorough screening, were conducted to identify free mobile apps targeting self-harm in young people. Five apps met the inclusion criteria and were used by trained researchers, who coded identified features against the BCT Taxonomy V1. Despite the majority of apps being underpinned by principles of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), no other information is available about specific theories underpinning these apps. Nineteen of the 93 BCTs were identified across the five apps. The most frequently used BCT was “Distraction” (54.2%), offering ideas for activities to distract users from self-harming. Other techniques that were used often were “Social Support (unspecified)” (27.0%) and “Behavior Substitution” (10.6%). This study provides the first analysis of BCTs present in mental health apps which are designed to target the reduction of self-harm in young people. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the apps, as well as assess the effectiveness of the BCTs present.

scholarly journals What do users think of the UK’s three COVID-19 contact-tracing apps? A comparative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. e100320
Author(s):  
Vahid Garousi ◽  
David Cutting
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
End Users ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
User Reviews ◽  
The Public ◽  
Engineering Teams ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right

ObjectivesOur goal was to gain insights into the user reviews of the three COVID-19 contact-tracing mobile apps, developed for the different regions of the UK: ‘NHS COVID-19’ for England and Wales, ‘StopCOVID NI’ for Northern Ireland and ‘Protect Scotland’ for Scotland. Our two research questions are (1) what are the users’ experience and satisfaction levels with the three apps? and (2) what are the main issues (problems) that users have reported about the apps?MethodsWe assess the popularity of the apps and end users’ perceptions based on user reviews in app stores. We conduct three types of analysis (data mining, sentiment analysis and topic modelling) to derive insights from the combined set of 25 583 user reviews of the aforementioned three apps (submitted by users until the end of 2020).ResultsResults show that end users have been generally dissatisfied with the apps under study, except the Scottish app. Some of the major issues that users have reported are high battery drainage and doubts on whether apps are really working.DiscussionTowards the end of 2020, the much-awaited COVID-19 vaccines started to be available, but still, analysing the users’ feedback and technical issues of these apps, in retrospective, is valuable to learn the right lessons to be ready for similar circumstances in future.ConclusionOur results show that more work is needed by the stakeholders behind the apps (eg, apps’ software engineering teams, public-health experts and decision makers) to improve the software quality and, as a result, the public adoption of these apps. For example, they should be designed to be as simple as possible to operate (need for usability).

scholarly journals Materials for Production of High and Ultra-High Performance Concrete: Review and Perspective of Possible Novel Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4304
Author(s):  
Markssuel Teixeira Marvila ◽  
Afonso Rangel Garcez de de Azevedo ◽  
Paulo R. de de Matos ◽  
Sergio Neves Monteiro ◽  
Carlos Maurício Fontes Vieira
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
High Performance Concrete ◽  
Review Article ◽  
Cement Matrix ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chemical Additives ◽  
Ultra High Performance Concrete ◽  
Conventional Concrete ◽  
Essential Components

This review article proposes the identification and basic concepts of materials that might be used for the production of high-performance concrete (HPC) and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC). Although other reviews have addressed this topic, the present work differs by presenting relevant aspects on possible materials applied in the production of HPC and UHPC. The main innovation of this review article is to identify the perspectives for new materials that can be considered in the production of novel special concretes. After consulting different bibliographic databases, some information related to ordinary Portland cement (OPC), mineral additions, aggregates, and chemical additives used for the production of HPC and UHPC were highlighted. Relevant information on the application of synthetic and natural fibers is also highlighted in association with a cement matrix of HPC and UHPC, forming composites with properties superior to conventional concrete used in civil construction. The article also presents some relevant characteristics for the application of HPC and UHPC produced with alkali-activated cement, an alternative binder to OPC produced through the reaction between two essential components: precursors and activators. Some information about the main types of precursors, subdivided into materials rich in aluminosilicates and rich in calcium, were also highlighted. Finally, suggestions for future work related to the application of HPC and UHPC are highlighted, guiding future research on this topic.

scholarly journals A systematic PRISMA review of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in secure psychiatric care: prevalence, treatment, risk assessment and other clinical considerations

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare S. Allely
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secure Psychiatric Care

Purpose Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with specific assessment, specific difficulties, needs and therapeutic issues and therefore are a challenging group for forensic services. Given the challenge that individuals with ASD present to forensic services, the suggested increase in the number of this group within this setting and the relatively little amount of research which suggests they face a number of difficulties within the prison environment, the purpose of this paper is to identify and review all the studies which have been carried out investigating any aspect of ASD in relation to secure hospital settings. Design/methodology/approach Seven internet-based bibliographic databases were used for the present review. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Findings A total of 12 studies were included in this review; 3 looked at the prevalence of ASD in secure psychiatric hospitals. One study evaluated the clinical utility of the AQ screening tool to assess self-reported autistic traits in secure psychiatric settings. Three explored any type of characteristics of patients with ASD detained in secure psychiatric hospitals. One study investigated the experiences or quality of life of patients with an ASD detained in secure psychiatric care. Two studies investigated awareness, knowledge and/or views regarding patients with ASD held by staff working within secure psychiatric hospitals. Lastly, three studies (one of which was also included in the prevalence category above) looked at the effectiveness of interventions or treatment of patients with ASD in secure psychiatric hospitals. Clinical recommendations and future research directions are discussed. Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, this is the first review to explore what research has been carried out looking specifically at patients with ASD in relation to secure forensic settings.

Exclusion by Design: Lack of Information about Community Participation in COVID-19-related Mobile Apps and its Relationship to Digital Health Disparities (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammed Yassin Idris ◽  
Maya Korin ◽  
Faven Araya ◽  
Sayeeda Chowdhury ◽  
Humberto Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Participation ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Medical Information ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
App Development ◽  
Communities Of Color

UNSTRUCTURED The rate and scale of transmission of COVID-19 overwhelmed healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in under-resourced communities of color that already faced a high prevalence of pre-existing health conditions. One way the health ecosystem has tried to address the pandemic is by creating mobile apps for telemedicine, dissemination of medical information, and disease tracking. As these new mobile health tools continue to be a primary format for healthcare, more attention needs to be given to their equitable distribution, usage, and accessibility. In this viewpoint collaboratively written by a community-based organization and a health app development research team, we present results of our systematic search and analysis of community engagement in mobile apps released between February and December 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide an overview of apps’ features and functionalities but could not find any publicly available information regarding whether these apps incorporated participation from communities of color disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We argue that while mobile health technologies are a form of intellectual property, app developers should make public the steps taken to include community participation in app development. These steps could include community needs assessment, community feedback solicited and incorporated, and community participation in evaluation. These are factors that community-based organizations look for when assessing whether to promote digital health tools among the communities they serve. Transparency about the participation of community organizations in the process of app development would increase buy-in, trust, and usage of mobile health apps in communities where they are needed most.

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