Wellness and Disease Self-Management Mobile Health Apps Evaluated by the Mobile Application Rating Scale

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfpn.2020.01.003Get rights and content

Section snippets

Key points

  • Accurate health information can empower patients to take charge of their own disease management.

  • Mobile health apps can provide accurate information and encourage disease self-management.

  • Use of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) tool can assist providers in choosing highly effective apps for patients.

Behavior change

Changes in behavior are often required for health improvement. Some health changes are recommended at a population level, with policy and guideline recommendations, such as dietary guidelines to reduce heart disease. Often, these changes do not work as successfully as hoped because the change-makers act in reaction to the need for change rather than fixing the instigating problem [9]. In the example given earlier, specific components of the diet may not be as much to blame as overeating or lack

Hypertension

Globally, 1 in 5 people have a diagnosis of hypertension [16]. Although hypertension requires careful monitoring and management, it also carries with it a risk of stroke and kidney disease. Mobile apps for management of hypertension should reflect national evidence-based guidelines for the management of hypertension but should also include 5 key features: the ability to export data, send reminders, analyze data, record time, and provide education [17]. These features allow several aspects of

Adolescents

Targeting the adolescent population for app usage for the self-management of disease or illness is challenging because of their developmental stages that are different than those of adults. In addition, many app manufacturers do not include adolescents in app development or do not test their efficacy with adolescents [35,36].

Balance and falls

Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide [41]. Approximately 37 million people experience a fall requiring medical attention annually, with adults aged 65 years and older comprising the largest number of fatal falls [41]. These statistics provide evidence that balance is an important aspect of care for older adults. In a 2018 study, Reyes and colleagues [42] examined apps targeted to improve or maintain balance. Specific search criteria were not included in

Implications for practice

Self-management of disease and health promotion through the use of mobile apps is an area of rapid growth, and the use of mobile devices is proliferative [42]. Clinicians have the opportunity to empower patients to take charge of their wellness and improve their disease self-management through the use of mobile apps. Mobile apps have a variety of functional components, including the ability to transmit data to clinicians, incorporate the latest clinical practice guidelines, provide patient

First page preview

First page preview
Click to open first page preview

References (44)

  • National center for chronic disease prevention and health promotion (NCCDPHP): health and economic costs of chronic disease

  • D.C. Dugdale et al.

    Time and the patient-physician relationship

    J Gen Intern Med

    (1999)
  • A. Coulter et al.

    Policy brief: where are the patients in decision-making about their own care?

  • Statcounter. Share of mobile device owners worldwide from 2011 to 2016, by number of devices owned

  • P.A. Grady et al.

    Self-management: a comprehensive approach to management of chronic conditions

    Rev Panam Salud Publica

    (2015)
  • W. Brouwer et al.

    Which intervention characteristics are related to more exposure to internet-delivered healthy lifestyle promotion interventions? A systematic review

    J Med Internet Res

    (2011)
  • R.R. Ramsey et al.

    A systematic evaluation of asthma management apps examining behavior change techniques

    J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract

    (2019)
  • M.W. Arbour et al.

    Mobile applications for women's health and midwifery care: a pocket reference for the 21st century

    J Midwifery Womens Health

    (2018)
  • M.P. Kelly et al.

    Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?

    Public Health

    (2016)
  • Mobile medical applications

  • D. Kwasnicka et al.

    Theoretical explanations for maintenance of behaviour change: a systematic review of behaviour theories

    Health Psychol Rev

    (2016)
  • J. Zhao et al.

    Can mobile phone apps influence people’s health behavior change? an evidence review

    J Med Internet Res

    (2016)
  • M.A. Stec et al.

    Client-Centered mobile health care applications: using the mobile application rating scale instrument for Evidence-Based evaluation

    J Midwifery Womens Health

    (2019)
  • P. Krebs et al.

    Health app use among US mobile phone owners: a national survey

    JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

    (2015)
  • S.R. Stoyanov et al.

    Mobile app rating scale: a new tool for assessing the quality of health mobile apps

    JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

    (2015)
  • World Health Organization

    Raised blood pressure (SBP ≥140 OR DBP ≥90), crude (%) data by WHO region

  • H. Jamaladin et al.

    Mobile apps for blood pressure monitoring: systematic search in app stores and content analysis

    JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

    (2018)
  • K. Lambert et al.

    Should we recommend renal Diet–Related apps to our patients? an evaluation of the quality and health literacy demand of renal Diet–Related mobile applications

    J Ren Nutr

    (2017)
  • A.B. Siddique et al.

    Mobile apps for the care management of chronic kidney and end-stage renal diseases: systematic search in app stores and evaluation

    JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

    (2019)
  • G. Savarese et al.

    Global public health burden of heart failure

    Card Fail Rev

    (2017)
  • R.M. Masterson Creber et al.

    Review and analysis of existing mobile phone apps to support heart failure symptom monitoring and self-care management using the mobile application rating scale (MARS)

    JMIR Mhealth Uhealth

    (2016)
  • L.S. Woods et al.

    Patients' experiences of using a consumer mHealth app for self-management of heart failure: mixed-methods study

    JMIR Hum Factors

    (2019)
  • Cited by (0)

    View full text