Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes self-management offers an opportunity to patients to be actively involved in managing their conditions and modifying lifestyle behaviors to attain positive health outcomes. With the unprecedented growth of mobile technology, smartphone plays a role in supporting diabetes self-management. No...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fendo.2017.00318/full |
| _version_ | 1819037611905253376 |
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| author | Syarafina Izahar Qi Ying Lean Qi Ying Lean Mohammed Abdul Hameed Muthu Kumar Murugiah Rahul P. Patel Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi Tin Wui Wong Long Chiau Ming Long Chiau Ming |
| author_facet | Syarafina Izahar Qi Ying Lean Qi Ying Lean Mohammed Abdul Hameed Muthu Kumar Murugiah Rahul P. Patel Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi Tin Wui Wong Long Chiau Ming Long Chiau Ming |
| author_sort | Syarafina Izahar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Diabetes self-management offers an opportunity to patients to be actively involved in managing their conditions and modifying lifestyle behaviors to attain positive health outcomes. With the unprecedented growth of mobile technology, smartphone plays a role in supporting diabetes self-management. Nonetheless, selecting appropriate mobile applications (apps) is challenging for patients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the contents and features of mobile medical apps for diabetes self-management. Of 346 commercial apps, 16 (16%) and 19 (7.72%) of the diabetes apps found in Apple and Google Play stores, respectively, were included based on the selection criteria and individually scored for the availability of 8 main features of diabetes self-management. The apps supported self-management by offering features such as free installation, less than 50 MB space used, offline use, automated data entry, data export and sharing, educational tool, and advice. Of the 8 evaluated features, only 11 (31.4%) apps had a score of 5 whereas 7 (20%) apps scored the lowest, with a score of 3. The majority of apps were free, required no Internet connectivity to use and were less than 50 MB in size. Our findings showed that the design of diabetes mobile apps focused on reporting and setting reminders, rather than providing personalized education or therapeutic support. In the future, the design of apps could be improved to integrate patients’ needs, usability for disease management, and lifestyle modifications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:24:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b3018726c1d84cf4845e9b66faf6d3c4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T08:24:11Z |
| publishDate | 2017-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Endocrinology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b3018726c1d84cf4845e9b66faf6d3c42022-12-21T19:10:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922017-11-01810.3389/fendo.2017.00318300709Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes MellitusSyarafina Izahar0Qi Ying Lean1Qi Ying Lean2Mohammed Abdul Hameed3Muthu Kumar Murugiah4Rahul P. Patel5Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi6Tin Wui Wong7Long Chiau Ming8Long Chiau Ming9Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, MalaysiaFaculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Bertam, MalaysiaVector borne Diseases Research Group, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences CoRe, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, MalaysiaFaculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, MalaysiaPharmaceutical Services Division, Penang State Health Department, Georgetown, MalaysiaPharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AustraliaCollege of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab EmiratesNon-Destructive Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Centre, iPROMISE, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam, MalaysiaPharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AustraliaSchool of Pharmacy, KPJ Healthcare University College, Nilai, MalaysiaDiabetes self-management offers an opportunity to patients to be actively involved in managing their conditions and modifying lifestyle behaviors to attain positive health outcomes. With the unprecedented growth of mobile technology, smartphone plays a role in supporting diabetes self-management. Nonetheless, selecting appropriate mobile applications (apps) is challenging for patients. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate and compare the contents and features of mobile medical apps for diabetes self-management. Of 346 commercial apps, 16 (16%) and 19 (7.72%) of the diabetes apps found in Apple and Google Play stores, respectively, were included based on the selection criteria and individually scored for the availability of 8 main features of diabetes self-management. The apps supported self-management by offering features such as free installation, less than 50 MB space used, offline use, automated data entry, data export and sharing, educational tool, and advice. Of the 8 evaluated features, only 11 (31.4%) apps had a score of 5 whereas 7 (20%) apps scored the lowest, with a score of 3. The majority of apps were free, required no Internet connectivity to use and were less than 50 MB in size. Our findings showed that the design of diabetes mobile apps focused on reporting and setting reminders, rather than providing personalized education or therapeutic support. In the future, the design of apps could be improved to integrate patients’ needs, usability for disease management, and lifestyle modifications.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fendo.2017.00318/fulldiabetesself-carehealth informaticsmobile healthmobile application |
| spellingShingle | Syarafina Izahar Qi Ying Lean Qi Ying Lean Mohammed Abdul Hameed Muthu Kumar Murugiah Rahul P. Patel Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi Tin Wui Wong Long Chiau Ming Long Chiau Ming Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus Frontiers in Endocrinology diabetes self-care health informatics mobile health mobile application |
| title | Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus |
| title_full | Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus |
| title_fullStr | Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus |
| title_full_unstemmed | Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus |
| title_short | Content Analysis of Mobile Health Applications on Diabetes Mellitus |
| title_sort | content analysis of mobile health applications on diabetes mellitus |
| topic | diabetes self-care health informatics mobile health mobile application |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fendo.2017.00318/full |
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