Apps and eating disorders: A systematic clinical appraisal

Abstract

ObjectiveSmartphone applications (apps) are proliferating and health‐related apps are particularly popular. The aim of this study was to identify, characterize, and evaluate the clinical utility of apps designed either for people with eating disorders or for eating disorder professionals.MethodA search of the major app stores identified 805 potentially relevant apps, of which 39 were primarily designed for people with eating disorders and five for professionals.ResultsThe apps for people with eating disorders had four main functions. Most common was the provision of advice, the quality of which ranged from sound to potentially harmful. Five apps included self‐assessment tools but only two used methods that would generally be viewed as reliable. Four apps had the self‐monitoring of eating habits as a major feature. Entering information into these apps could be accomplished with varying degrees of ease, but viewing it was more difficult. One app allowed the transfer of information between patients and clinicians.DiscussionThe enthusiasm for apps outstrips the evidence supporting their use. Given their popularity, it is suggested that clinicians evaluate app use as part of routine assessment. The clinical utility of the existing apps is not clear. Some are capable of tracking key features over time, but none has the functions required for analytic self‐monitoring as in cognitive behavioral treatments. The full potential of apps has yet to be realized. Specialized apps could be designed to augment various forms of treatment, and there is the possibility that they could deliver an entire personalized intervention. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Eating Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48:1038–1046)

Treating eating disorders using the internet

“…What is welcome is the fact that this is an active research field with interventions being put to the test. This is in stark contrast to the paucity of research on the multitude of smartphone applications designed for people with eating disorders, a form of modern technology that, similar to eTherapy, has the potential to do harm as well as good [37].…”

SlipBuddy: A Mobile Health Intervention to Prevent Overeating

“…Mobile technology has the capacity to deliver evidence-based weight loss interventions with lower cost and burden than traditional intervention models. However, studies report that their potential is yet to be realized [5]. A recent literature review of mobile technology interventions illustrates the limited use of mobile technology, mainly text messaging, in such interventions [6].…”

Physiotherapists in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation – Sharing the rehabilitation space with clinical exercise physiologists?

“…Although mobile technology is pervasive in society, our participants remained unsure of its potential in clinical work. Further, there is often an assumption in the literature that clinicians are technologically literate and using published evaluative tools prior to prescription of mHealth apps (Fairburn & Rothwell, 2015;Aungst et al, 2014;Hussain e al., 2015;Donker et al, 2013). Other relevant studies have revealed tools to evaluate mHealth apps are predominantly unknown and underused in clinical practice (Butcher et al, 2015).…”

“…Recognising this, Fairburn & Rothwell (2015) suggest that clinicians should enquire about their clients' mHealth app use during initial assessments. This sets the expectation that clinicians are familiar with and knowledgeable about mHealth apps in their field of practice.…”