Features and characteristics of publicly available mHealth apps for self-management in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) may be able to support people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to develop the appropriate skills and routines for adequate self-management. Given the wide variety of publicly available mHealth apps, it is important to be aware of their characteristics to optimize their use and mitigate potential harms. Objective To report the characteristics and features of publicly available apps for COPD self-management. Methods MHealth apps designed for patients’ COPD self-management were searched in the Google Play and Apple app stores. Two reviewers trialed and assessed the eligible apps using the MHealth Index and Navigation Database framework to describe the characteristics, qualities, and features of mHealth apps across five domains. Results From the Google Play and Apple stores, thirteen apps were identified and eligible for further evaluation. All thirteen apps were available for Android devices, but only seven were available for Apple devices. Most apps were developed by for-profit organizations (8/13), non-profit organizations (2/13), and unknown developers (3/13). Many apps had privacy policies (9/13), but only three apps described their security systems and two mentioned compliance with local health information and data usage laws. Education was the common app feature; additional features were medication reminders, symptom tracking, journaling, and action planning. None provided clinical evidence to support their use. Conclusions Publicly available COPD apps vary in their designs, features, and overall quality. These apps lack evidence to support their clinical use and cannot be recommended at this time.

Recent Advances in the Devices for the Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Review

“…Overall, these advancements give patients a better command of their illness and engage them to effectively participate in their treatment. Through superior medication conveyance, adherence, and early identification, these devices can essentially work on the personal satisfaction of COPD patients and diminish the weight of the infection on the medical care framework [ 36 ].…”

Functionality and Usability of mHealth Apps in Patients with Peritoneal Dialysis: A Systematic Review

“…mHealth provides healthcare services through portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and personal digital assistants [ 12 , 13 ]. mHealth delivers pre-established health services and provides guidance regarding the PD procedure and disease-related information in real time through features such as browsing, text messaging, communication, and videos [ 11 , 14 , 15 ]. mHealth apps enable the collection of patient health-related data, including access to personal medical records, obtaining nutritional or dietary information, receiving treatment-related details, offering disease-related information, understanding health status, tracking exercise activities, weight, and dietary habits, monitoring medication dosage, recording blood pressure, and providing convenience and efficiency for patients with PD [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 9 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…mHealth delivers pre-established health services and provides guidance regarding the PD procedure and disease-related information in real time through features such as browsing, text messaging, communication, and videos [11,14,15]. mHealth apps enable the collection of patient health-related data, including access to personal medical records, obtaining nutritional or dietary information, receiving treatment-related details, offering disease-related information, understanding health status, tracking exercise activities, weight, and dietary habits, monitoring medication dosage, recording blood pressure, and providing convenience and efficiency for patients with PD [3,4,6,9,14,[16][17][18][19]. Additionally, some mHealth apps have interactive features that allow patients to communicate immediately with physicians or nurses when difficulties arise [6].…”

Functionality and Usability of mHealth Apps in Patients with Peritoneal Dialysis: A Scoping Review

“…mHealth provides healthcare services through portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and personal digital assistants [12,13]. mHealth delivers pre-established health services and provides guidance regarding the PD procedure and disease-related information in real-time through features such as browsing, text messaging, communication, and videos [11,14,15]. mHealth apps enable the collection of patient health-related data, including access to personal medical records, obtaining nutritional or dietary information, receiving treatment-related details, offering diseaserelated information, understanding health status, tracking exercise activities, weight, and dietary habits, monitoring medication dosage, recording blood pressure, and providing convenience and efficiency for patients with PD [3,4,6,9,14,[16][17][18][19].…”