Application of Smartphone Technologies in Disease Monitoring: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Technologies play an essential role in monitoring, managing, and self-management of chronic diseases. Since chronic patients rely on life-long healthcare systems and the current COVID-19 pandemic has placed limits on hospital care, there is a need to explore disease monitoring and management technologies and examine their acceptance by chronic patients. We systematically examined the use of smartphone applications (apps) in chronic disease monitoring and management in databases, namely, Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Proquest, published from 2010 to 2020. Results showed that app-based weight management programs had a significant effect on healthy eating and physical activity (p = 0.002), eating behaviours (p < 0.001) and dietary intake pattern (p < 0.001), decreased mean body weight (p = 0.008), mean Body Mass Index (BMI) (p = 0.002) and mean waist circumference (p < 0.001). App intervention assisted in decreasing the stress levels (paired t-test = 3.18; p < 0.05). Among cancer patients, we observed a high acceptance of technology (76%) and a moderately positive correlation between non-invasive electronic monitoring data and questionnaire (r = 0.6, p < 0.0001). We found a significant relationship between app use and standard clinical evaluation and high acceptance of the use of apps to monitor the disease. Our findings provide insights into critical issues, including technology acceptance along with regulatory guidelines to be considered when designing, developing, and deploying smartphone solutions targeted for chronic patients.

Factors Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Bangladesh

“…This might also reflect the harsh scenario of the rural population in Bangladesh or similar country settings, where patients with T2D remain undiagnosed for an extended period of time and eventually present to the hospital when they have already developed macro- or microvascular complications [ 42 , 55 ]. Strategies for early detection of CKD and hypertension with innovative approaches to management are needed in patients with T2D in Bangladesh [ 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ].…”

Smartphone as a Disease Screening Tool: A Systematic Review

“…Our systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines [ 11 ], and, since the primary investigators obtained informed consent, ethics approval was unnecessary [ 8 ].…”

“…The innovation in smartphone technologies, coupled with built-in sensors and wireless technologies, enables the smartphone to function as a device for disease screening and monitoring with negligible additional costs [ 8 ]. Recent reviews have evaluated the role of apps in supporting self-management and transition amongst chronically ill young people, improving chronic patients’ lifestyles, and lifestyle improvement in non-communicable diseases [ 9 ].…”

Towards a Connected Mobile Cataract Screening System: A Future Approach

“…Furthermore, smartphones, which are sophisticated devices that combine traditional mobile phone features with advanced computing capabilities that allow users to access software programs, have gained immense popularity for healthrelated purposes. The smartphone's technological capability, popularity, availability, and globally increased ownership have helped encourage the smartphone as an appealing tool for patient self-management, continuous symptom and vital sign monitoring, and patient-physician communication [69,70].…”