Drug poisoning management using smartphones: an apps review study based on use case classification model

Abstract

<jats:p>Drug poisoning is the most common form of poisoning in the world. Timely and efficient management of this form of poisoning may save the life of many patients. Today, smartphone apps are widely used for various utilisations, such as for medical purposes. This study aimed to review the crucial characteristics of Android and iOS apps for drug poisoning management and categorise them by the use case classification model. Google Play and App Store were searched in December 2018 for drug poisoning apps using the keywords toxicology, poisoning, drug poisoning and drug toxicities, and resulted in 551 smartphone apps. The 17 final apps were evaluated based on the following items: platform, cost, date of update, country, app target, target group, rating and developer. The results showed that 64.7% of apps were available on both platforms and 53% were free to download. Majority of the apps (53%) were designed for medical staff and 47% were developed in the USA. In 47% of the apps, users rated a score above 4 for apps evaluation, and in 47% the last update was 1 year ago. Nine distinct use cases from the published use case classification model were found in 17 apps. The results of this study can help users select and use a reliable app for management of drug poisoning. The results also showed that 22 use cases of the 31 introduced were not considered in the development of the apps. Application of these use cases may improve the quality of drug poisoning management apps.</jats:p>

Mobile Health Apps Providing Information on Drugs for Adult Emergency Care: Systematic Search on App Stores and Content Analysis

“…About half of the apps (20/49, 41%) required payment to access all the content, with a cost ranging from €0.59 (US $0.64) to €179.99 (US $196.10). This is a similar percentage than that observed in a recent study on drug poisoning management apps [ 42 ]. Nevertheless, it is considerably higher than that observed in other recent reviews of apps for medical emergencies [ 8 ], medication management and adherence for patients [ 28 , 32 ], or checking for drug-drug interactions [ 36 ].…”

“…Very recently, a study identified 23 drug reference apps with local drug information in Taiwan (including those aimed at both patients and professionals) and analyzed their quality and factors influencing user perceptions [ 41 ]. In the field of emergency care, a recent study analyzed apps for the management of drug poisoning [ 42 ]. Of the 17 apps identified, 14 (82%) presented diagnosis and treatment guides, and 3 (18%) were specifically on antidotes and their dosage.…”