scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Increasing Treatment Adherence: Systematic Review (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virtudes Pérez-Jover ◽  
Marina Sala-González ◽  
Mercedes Guilabert ◽  
José Joaquín Mira
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Therapeutic Adherence ◽  
At Home

BACKGROUND It is estimated that 20% to 50% of patients do not take their medication correctly, and this leads to increased morbidity and inefficacy of therapeutic approaches. Fostering treatment adherence is a priority objective for all health systems. The growth of mobile apps to facilitate therapeutic adherence has significantly increased in recent years. However, the effectiveness of the apps for this purpose has not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to analyze whether mobile apps are perceived as useful for managing medication at home and if they actually contribute to increasing treatment adherence in patients. METHODS We carried out a systematic review of research published using Scopus, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, and MEDLINE databases and analyzed the information about their contribution to increasing therapeutic adherence and the perceived usefulness of mobile apps. This review examined studies published between 2000 and 2017. RESULTS Overall, 11 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The sample sizes of these studies varied between 16 and 99 participants. In addition, 7 studies confirmed that the mobile app increased treatment adherence. In 5 of them, the before and after adherence measures suggested significant statistical improvements, when comparing self-reported adherence and missed dose with a percentage increase ranging between 7% and 40%. The users found mobile apps easy to use and useful for managing their medication. The patients were mostly satisfied with their use, with an average score of 8.1 out of 10. CONCLUSIONS The use of mobile apps helps increase treatment adherence, and they are an appropriate method for managing medication at home.

scholarly journals Mobile Apps for Drug–Drug Interaction Checks in Chinese App Stores: Systematic Review and Content Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunying Shen ◽  
Bin Jiang ◽  
Qilian Yang ◽  
Chengnan Wang ◽  
Kevin Z Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Arithmetic Mean ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Rating Score ◽  
Average Rating ◽  
Mhealth Apps

BACKGROUND As a computerized drug–drug interaction (DDI) alert system has not been widely implemented in China, health care providers are relying on mobile health (mHealth) apps as references for checking drug information, including DDIs. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and content of mHealth apps supporting DDI checking in Chinese app stores. METHODS A systematic review was carried out in November 2020 to identify mHealth apps providing DDI checking in both Chinese iOS and Android platforms. We extracted the apps’ general information (including the developer, operating system, costs, release date, size, number of downloads, and average rating), scientific or clinical basis, and accountability, based on a multidimensional framework for evaluation of apps. The quality of mHealth apps was evaluated by using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Descriptive statistics, including numbers and percentages, were calculated to describe the characteristics of the apps. For each app selected for evaluation, the section-specific MARS scores were calculated by taking the arithmetic mean, while the overall MARS score was described as the arithmetic mean of the section scores. In addition, the Cohen kappa (κ) statistic was used to evaluate the interrater agreement. RESULTS A total of 7 apps met the selection criteria, and only 3 included citations. The average rating score for Android apps was 3.5, with a minimum of 1.0 and a maximum of 4.9, while the average rating score for iOS apps was 4.7, with a minimum of 4.2 and a maximum of 4.9. The mean MARS score was 3.69 out of 5 (95% CI 3.34-4.04), with the lowest score of 1.96 for Medication Guidelines and the highest score of 4.27 for MCDEX mobile. The greatest variation was observed in the information section, which ranged from 1.41 to 4.60. The functionality section showed the highest mean score of 4.05 (95% CI 3.71-4.40), whereas the engagement section resulted in the lowest average score of 3.16 (95% CI 2.81-3.51). For the information quality section, which was the focus of this analysis, the average score was 3.42, with the MCDEX mobile app having the highest score of 4.6 and the Medication Guidelines app having the lowest score of 1.9. For the overall MARS score, the Cohen interrater κ was 0.354 (95% CI 0.236-0.473), the Fleiss κ was 0.353 (95% CI, 0.234-0.472), and the Krippendorff α was 0.356 (95% CI 0.237-0.475). CONCLUSIONS This study systematically reviewed the mHealth apps in China with a DDI check feature. The majority of investigated apps demonstrated high quality with accurate and comprehensive information on DDIs. However, a few of the apps that had a massive number of downloads in the Chinese market provided incorrect information. Given these apps might be used by health care providers for checking potential DDIs, this creates a substantial threat to patient safety.

scholarly journals Opportunities for Mobile App–Based Adherence Support for Children With Tuberculosis in South Africa

10.2196/19154 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e19154
Author(s):  
Rachel M Morse ◽  
Hanlie Myburgh ◽  
David Reubi ◽  
Ava E Archey ◽  
Leletu Busakwe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Tuberculosis Treatment ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Adherence Support ◽  
Positive Treatment

Tuberculosis is the number one infectious cause of death globally. Young children, generally those younger than 5 years, are at the highest risk of progressing from tuberculosis infection to tuberculosis disease and of developing the most severe forms of tuberculosis. Most current tuberculosis drug formulations have poor acceptability among children and require consistent adherence for prolonged periods of time. These challenges complicate children’s adherence to treatment and caregivers’ daily administration of the drugs. Rapid developments in mobile technologies and apps present opportunities for using widely available technology to support national tuberculosis programs and patient treatment adherence. Pilot studies have demonstrated that mobile apps are a feasible and acceptable means of enhancing children’s treatment adherence for other chronic conditions. Despite this, no mobile apps that aim to promote adherence to tuberculosis treatment have been developed for children. In this paper, we draw on our experiences carrying out research in clinical pediatric tuberculosis studies in South Africa. We present hypothetical scenarios of children’s adherence to tuberculosis medication to suggest priorities for behavioral and educational strategies that a mobile app could incorporate to address some of the adherence support gaps faced by children diagnosed with tuberculosis. We argue that a mobile app has the potential to lessen some of the negative experiences that children associate with taking tuberculosis treatment and to facilitate a more positive treatment adherence experience for children and their caregivers.

Usability and Perceived Usefulness of the AFib 2gether™ Mobile App in a Clinical Setting: Single-Arm Intervention Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alok Kapoor ◽  
Anna Hayes ◽  
Jay Patel ◽  
Harshal Patel ◽  
Andreza Andrade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Shared Decision Making ◽  
Patient Involvement ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Item Questionnaire

BACKGROUND Although the American Heart Association and other professional societies have recommended shared decision-making as a way for patients with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF) to reach informed decisions about using anticoagulation (AC), the best method of facilitating shared decision-making remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to assess the AFib 2gether™ mobile app for usability, perceived usefulness, and extent and nature of shared decision making that occurred for clinical encounters between patients with AF and their cardiology providers in which the app was used. METHODS We identified patients coming to see a cardiology provider from October 2019 until May 2020. We measured usability from patients and providers through the mobile app rating scale (MARS). From the eight items of the MARS, we report the average score (out of 5) for domains of functionality, aesthetics, and overall quality. We administered a three-item questionnaire to patients relating to their perceived usefulness and a separate three-item questionnaire to providers to measure their perceived usefulness. We performed a chart review to track AC starts occurring within 6 months of the index visit. We also audio-recorded a subset of encounters to identify evidence of shared decision-making. RESULTS We facilitated shared decision-making visits for 37 patients seeing 13 providers. In terms of usability, patients’ ratings of functionality, aesthetics, and overall quality were (average ± standard deviation): 4.51 ± 0.61, 4.26 ± 0.51, and 4.24 ± 0.89, respectively. In terms of usefulness, 40% of patients agreed that the app improved their knowledge regarding AC and 62% agreed that the app helped clarify to their provider, their preferences regarding AC. Among providers, 79% agreed that the app helped clarify their patients’ preferences; 82% agreed that the app saved them time; and 59% agreed that the app helped their patients make decisions about AC. Additionally, 12 patients started AC after their shared decision-making visits. We audio-recorded 25 encounters. Of these encounters, 84% included mention of AC for AF, 44% included discussion of multiple options for AC, 72% included a provider recommendation for AC, and 48% included evidence of patient involvement in the discussion. CONCLUSIONS Patients and providers rated the app with high usability and perceived usefulness. Moreover, a third of patients began AC and in nearly ½ the encounters, there was evidence of patient involvement in decision-making. In the future, we plan to study the effect of the app in a larger sample and with a controlled study design. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04118270. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-21986

Factors Driving Consumer Engagement and Intentions with Gamification of Mobile Apps

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-35
Author(s):  
Shampy Kamboj ◽  
Shruti Rana ◽  
Vinayak A. Drave
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Mobile Marketing ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Internet Users

The advent of smartphones revolutionized and took the market to a new level. Now a days, majority of internet users spend their maximum time on smartphones, specifically on mobile apps. The emergence of numerous apps in smartphones with games features has brought about a different trend, mobile app gamification. The emerging popularity of smartphone technologies and their mobile apps have led various companies to engage their consumers with mobile apps, specifically through gamification. Therefore, companies gain consumers attention integrate their mobile marketing into their overall marketing strategy. This study explores the domain of consumer engagement and their intentions through the gamification of mobile apps. The research focuses on how mobile app gamification drives consumer engagement and their intentions drawing upon SDT and TAM. Using survey method data collected from 270 respondents, data analysis was done with structure equation modeling (SEM). The findings assert that various features of gamification of mobile apps (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and enjoyment) have a significant influence on consumer engagement. However, convenience was unexpectedly found not to be significantly associated with consumer engagement. Additionally, consumer engagement was found to be associated to smartphone user's intentions to use gamification of mobile apps. The results of present study have theoretical and practical implications.

scholarly journals Does the Use of Reservoirs Have Any Impact on the Efficacy of At-Home Bleaching? A Systematic Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline Claudia Martini ◽  
Sibelli Olivieri Parreiras ◽  
Eric Dario Acuña ◽  
Alessandro Dourado Loguercio ◽  
Alessandra Reis
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Tooth Sensitivity ◽  
At Home

Abstract To answer the following focused question through a systematic review: “Are the risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity (TS) and bleaching efficacy different between adult patients who undergo at-home bleaching using trays with reservoirs and those who use trays without reservoirs?”. A comprehensive search was performed in the MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database, Brazilian Library in Dentistry, Cochrane Library, and grey literature without restrictions. Abstracts from conferences; unpublished and ongoing trial registries, dissertations and theses (ProQuest Dissertations and Periódicos Capes Theses databases) were searched. Only randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were included. We used the Risk of Bias tool (RoB) from the Cochrane Collaboration for quality assessment. After the removal of duplicates, title and abstract screening and full-text examination, nine RCTs remained for qualitative analyses. The great majority of the studies did not report the method of randomization, allocation concealment, and examiner blinding during color assessment. From the nine studies, eight were at unclear risk of bias. In regard to color change, four studies reported no change and two reported improved color change with reservoirs. Only four studies recorded tooth sensitivity and they reported no significant differences. Only one study reported greater gingival irritation with reservoirs. Lack of data reporting prevented us from running a meta-analysis. Further well-designed RCT should be conducted to answer this research question. So far there is not evidence to support that reservoirs in bleaching trays improve color change. PROSPERO - CRD42016037628

scholarly journals Early Acceptability of a Mobile App for Contact Tracing During the COVID-19 Pandemic in France: National Web-Based Survey (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajae Touzani ◽  
Emilien Schultz ◽  
Seth M Holmes ◽  
Stéphanie Vandentorren ◽  
Pierre Arwidson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Literacy ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Structural Determinants ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Literacy Survey

BACKGROUND Several countries have implemented mobile apps in an attempt to trace close contacts of patients with COVID-19 and, in turn, reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on the adherence of a large segment of the population. OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to evaluate the acceptability of a COVID-19 contact tracing mobile app among the French population and to investigate the barriers to its use. METHODS The Health Literacy Survey 2019 questioned 1003 people in France during the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of quota sampling. The survey collected sociodemographic characteristics and health literacy data, as well as information on participants’ communication with caregivers, trust in institutions, and COVID-19 knowledge and preventive behaviors. The acceptability of a mobile app for contact tracing was measured by a single question, the responses to which were grouped into three modalities: app-supporting, app-willing, and app-reluctant. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with the acceptability of a mobile app during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS Only 19.2% (193/1003) of all participants were app-supporting, whereas half of them (504/1003, 50.3%) were reluctant. The factors associated with willingness or support toward the contact tracing app included lower financial deprivation (app-willing: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.8, 95% CI 0.69-0.93; app-supporting: aOR 0.7, 95% CI 0.58-0.84) and higher perceived usefulness of using a mobile app to send completed health questionnaires to doctors (app-willing: aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.70-3.26; app-supporting: aOR 3.1, 95% CI 2.04-4.82). Furthermore, the likelihood of supporting the mobile app increased with age over 60 years (aOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.13-3.22), trust in political representatives (aOR 2.7, 95% CI 1.72-4.23), feeling concerned about the pandemic situation (aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.47-3.32), and knowledge about the transmission of COVID-19 (aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.39-2.96). CONCLUSIONS The most socioeconomically precarious people, who are at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, are also the most reluctant to using a contact tracing mobile app. Therefore, optimal adherence can only be effective with a targeted discourse on public health benefits to adopt such an app, which should be combined with a reduction in inequalities by acting on structural determinants.

scholarly journals Mobile apps for detecting falsified and substandard drugs: A systematic review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246061
Author(s):  
Agustín Ciapponi ◽  
Manuel Donato ◽  
A. Metin Gülmezoglu ◽  
Tomás Alconada ◽  
Ariel Bardach
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
Medical Database ◽  
Bar Code ◽  
Medical Databases

The use of substandard and counterfeit medicines (SCM) leads to significant health and economic consequences, like treatment failure, rise of antimicrobial resistance, extra expenditures of individuals or households and serious adverse drug reactions including death. Our objective was to systematically search, identify and compare relevant available mobile applications (apps) for smartphones and tablets, which use could potentially affect clinical and public health outcomes. We carried out a systematic review of the literature in January 2020, including major medical databases, and app stores. We used the validated Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) to assess the quality of apps, (1 worst score, 3 acceptable score, and 5 best score). We planned to evaluate the accuracy of the mobile apps to detect SCM. We retrieved 335 references through medical databases and 42 from Apple, Google stores and Google Scholar. We finally included two studies of the medical database, 25 apps (eight from the App Store, eight from Google Play, eight from both stores, and one from Google Scholar), and 16 websites. We only found one report on the accuracy of a mobile apps detecting SCMs. Most apps use the imprint, color or shape for pill identification, and only a few offer pill detection through photographs or bar code. The MARS mean score for the apps was 3.17 (acceptable), with a maximum of 4.9 and a minimum of 1.1. The ‘functionality’ dimension resulted in the highest mean score (3.4), while the ‘engagement’ and ‘information’ dimensions showed the lowest one (3.0). In conclusion, we found a remarkable evidence gap about the accuracy of mobile apps in detecting SCMs. However, mobile apps could potentially be useful to screen for SCM by assessing the physical characteristics of pills, although this should still be assessed in properly designed research studies.

scholarly journals The Effects of Mobile Advertising Alerts and Perceived Value on Continuance Intention for Branded Mobile Apps

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6753
Author(s):  
Miluska Murillo-Zegarra ◽  
Carla Ruiz-Mafe ◽  
Silvia Sanz-Blas
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Continuance Intention ◽  
Mobile Advertising ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines consumers’ behaviours towards mobile advertising alerts offered by branded mobile apps in the fashion industry. While consumer-driven factors have attracted much attention, little research has examined the impact of data-driven mobile advertising alerts on consumer continuance intention for branded mobile apps. This paper analyses the combined influence of consumer beliefs, data-driven mobile advertising alerts, and perceived value on mobile advertising acceptance, intention to repurchase, and recommendation behaviour towards branded mobile apps on social media. In total, 340 valid responses from Spanish customers of an online fashion outlet, all social media users, who make their purchases from the company exclusively through its branded mobile application, were analysed to test the hypotheses, using structural equation modelling. The results showed that mobile advertising acceptance, intention to repurchase, and recommendation behaviour are driven by the perceived value of the branded mobile app. Perceived value is determined by the usefulness of the branded mobile app, attitudes towards mobile advertising alerts, and irritation. Mobile advertising content (informativeness and credibility) improves attitudes towards mobile advertising alerts. Ease of use increases perceived usefulness, while perceived control decreases irritation. Managerial implications are provided.

scholarly journals Ramping Up Customer-Centric Modular Design Projects: Mobile App Development for Pandemic Relief

Systems ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Khaled Medini ◽  
Stefan Wiesner ◽  
Milad Poursoltan ◽  
David Romero
Keyword(s):  
Quality Function Deployment ◽  
Modular Design ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Technology Infrastructure ◽  
Information Technology Infrastructure ◽  
App Development

Today’s fast-growing demands at the global level for mobile applications (apps) cause customers to call for the customization of their apps to fit their individualized needs and business realms. Customization is a challenge for apps-development companies when they want to satisfy their numerous users in a crowded competitive market. Moreover, pursuing customization involves additional challenges when ramping up app development projects in order to meet demands at a larger scale. To address this challenge, we proposed a framework to systematize and support mobile apps’ development consistently with a customer-driven approach and modular design philosophy. From a practical point of view, the proposed framework integrates quality function deployment (QFD), axiomatic design (AD) principles, and practices from the ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) framework. The framework supports a systematic process for translating customer needs into design parameters as well as supporting prioritization of ITIL practices for further development. The effectiveness of the framework was explored in practice through a case study about an app supporting relief in the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a survey among potential users. The assessment of the framework indicated an average score ranging between 3.58 and 3.92 in a five-point Likert scale for all of the items used in the survey.

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