A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries
Abstract Mobile health (mHealth) interventions hold promise for addressing the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by assisting healthcare providers managing these disorders in low-resource settings. We aimed to systematically identify and assess p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-07-01
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| Series: | npj Digital Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00644-3 |
| _version_ | 1797427851707809792 |
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| author | Pascal Geldsetzer Sergio Flores Grace Wang Blanca Flores Abu Bakarr Rogers Aditi Bunker Andrew Y. Chang Rebecca Tisdale |
| author_facet | Pascal Geldsetzer Sergio Flores Grace Wang Blanca Flores Abu Bakarr Rogers Aditi Bunker Andrew Y. Chang Rebecca Tisdale |
| author_sort | Pascal Geldsetzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mobile health (mHealth) interventions hold promise for addressing the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by assisting healthcare providers managing these disorders in low-resource settings. We aimed to systematically identify and assess provider-facing mHealth applications used to screen for, diagnose, or monitor NCDs in LMICs. In this systematic review, we searched the indexing databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central for studies published between January 2007 and October 2019. We included studies of technologies that were: (i) mobile phone- or tablet-based, (ii) able to screen for, diagnose, or monitor an NCD of public health importance in LMICs, and (iii) targeting health professionals as users. We extracted disease type, intervention purpose, target population, study population, sample size, study methodology, technology stage, country of development, operating system, and cost. Our initial search retrieved 13,262 studies, 315 of which met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Cardiology was the most common clinical domain of the technologies evaluated, with 89 publications. mHealth innovations were predominantly developed using Apple’s iOS operating system. Cost data were provided in only 50 studies, but most technologies for which this information was available cost less than 20 USD. Only 24 innovations targeted the ten NCDs responsible for the greatest number of disability-adjusted life years lost globally. Most publications evaluated products created in high-income countries. Reported mHealth technologies are well-developed, but their implementation in LMICs faces operating system incompatibility and a relative neglect of NCDs causing the greatest disease burden. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:49:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-219169c3cc374e388538ccfb7537c700 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2398-6352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:49:42Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Digital Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-219169c3cc374e388538ccfb7537c7002023-12-02T14:33:24ZengNature Portfolionpj Digital Medicine2398-63522022-07-015111010.1038/s41746-022-00644-3A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countriesPascal Geldsetzer0Sergio Flores1Grace Wang2Blanca Flores3Abu Bakarr Rogers4Aditi Bunker5Andrew Y. Chang6Rebecca Tisdale7Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford UniversityDepartment of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå UniversityDepartment of Biology, Stanford UniversityHeidelberg University HospitalStanford University School of MedicineHeidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg UniversityCenter for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford UniversityVeterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, Center for Innovation to ImplementationAbstract Mobile health (mHealth) interventions hold promise for addressing the epidemic of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by assisting healthcare providers managing these disorders in low-resource settings. We aimed to systematically identify and assess provider-facing mHealth applications used to screen for, diagnose, or monitor NCDs in LMICs. In this systematic review, we searched the indexing databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central for studies published between January 2007 and October 2019. We included studies of technologies that were: (i) mobile phone- or tablet-based, (ii) able to screen for, diagnose, or monitor an NCD of public health importance in LMICs, and (iii) targeting health professionals as users. We extracted disease type, intervention purpose, target population, study population, sample size, study methodology, technology stage, country of development, operating system, and cost. Our initial search retrieved 13,262 studies, 315 of which met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Cardiology was the most common clinical domain of the technologies evaluated, with 89 publications. mHealth innovations were predominantly developed using Apple’s iOS operating system. Cost data were provided in only 50 studies, but most technologies for which this information was available cost less than 20 USD. Only 24 innovations targeted the ten NCDs responsible for the greatest number of disability-adjusted life years lost globally. Most publications evaluated products created in high-income countries. Reported mHealth technologies are well-developed, but their implementation in LMICs faces operating system incompatibility and a relative neglect of NCDs causing the greatest disease burden.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00644-3 |
| spellingShingle | Pascal Geldsetzer Sergio Flores Grace Wang Blanca Flores Abu Bakarr Rogers Aditi Bunker Andrew Y. Chang Rebecca Tisdale A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries npj Digital Medicine |
| title | A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_full | A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_fullStr | A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_short | A systematic review of healthcare provider-targeted mobile applications for non-communicable diseases in low- and middle-income countries |
| title_sort | systematic review of healthcare provider targeted mobile applications for non communicable diseases in low and middle income countries |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-022-00644-3 |
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