Abstract
Objective: Given the volume of patients using health related smartphone applications (apps), we examined apps pertaining to the top most disabling neuropsychiatric conditions to better understand their function, privacy, and features.
Background: In 2018, ~half of 3.4 billion smartphone owners will use health-related apps. With the rapid growth of these self-management tools, great potential exists for collecting/tracking data and providing mHealth interventions, but there is little oversight into their development, data sharing, and privacy implications.
Design/Methods: Using the World Health Organization’s data of the most disabling neuropsychiatric conditions/ Disability-Adjusted-Life-Years, we generated a list of the top 5 conditions (1. Stroke, 2. Migraine, 3. Depression, 4. Alzheimer’s/Dementia, and 5. Anxiety). We systematically searched the Google Play and Apple Stores for apps for persons with those conditions. We selected the top 15 apps/store meeting pre-specified inclusion criteria: in top 50 search results, offering intervention and/or tracking capabilities, and listing the condition in the app title/description. Exclusion criteria were: $5+ to purchase, solely motor versus cognitive-based intervention, or designed for use by caregivers/healthcare providers. Content abstracted from apps and respective websites included function, behavior change rewards, and information about intervention, privacy policy, and payment.
Results: 83 apps were reviewed (Stroke n=8; Migraine n=25; Alzheimer’s/Dementia n=8; Depression n=7; Anxiety n=14; apps targeting both Depression and Anxiety n=21). 78% had a privacy policy, of which 49% were unspecific to the app. 69% of apps had an intervention component; 10 (18%) were deemed evidence-based. 70% required payment for access to all features. 19% rewarded user behavior changes.
Conclusions: There is disconnect between apps claiming to provide intervention and apps being thoroughly studied and evidence-based. Despite this, many apps requested payment to acquire full app function. Lastly, though past research suggests behavior change reward may be beneficial to app compliance, only 19% of the apps included this.
Disclosure: Dr. Gopal has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sahyoun has nothing to disclose. Dr. Stieglitz has nothing to disclose. Dr. Torous has nothing to disclose. Dr. Minen has nothing to disclose.
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