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The main objective of this protocol is to understand the effectiveness of the use of a mobile application (OcupApp) to generate a personal self-analysis about meaningful activities in a population of adults aged between 50 and 70 years with low or moderate depression/anxiety. A randomised study will be carried out comparing the effects of the use of the OcupApp application with a control intervention on health-related quality of life, mental health, frequency of participation on meaningful activities, and perceived occupational balance. This is the first study to use occupational self-analysis in m-health to improve occupational balance, mental health, frequency of participation in meaningful activities and health-related quality of life. The app was co-created with a population whose characteristics are similar to those of the target users, and it was tested in both the intervention itself and the presentation, thus it is expected to be effective. Trial Registration Number: Clinical Trial B1-2020_25 IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: This is the first study to evaluate the impact of an app on occupational participation in people older than 50 years with mild-moderate anxiety and/or depression Introducing an occupational self-analysis app that helps people become aware of their occupations can improve health-related quality of life, mental health, frequency of participation on meaningful activities, and perceived occupational balance. OcupApp will allow people to go under occupational self-analysis process from home or any other place, maintaining the principles of the original programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric obesity treatment is based on high-intensity lifestyle counseling. However, high dropout rates and low effectiveness have been reported, even in specialized centers. Mobile health technologies have been used to overcome these limits with contrasting results. This study aims at evaluating the effectiveness of a six-month intervention with a mobile app for the treatment of pediatric obesity at 6 and 12 months of follow-up. Methods: Seventy-five patients were randomly assigned to standard care or standard care plus mobile app (2:1) using an online randomizer system. The mobile app delivered high-intensity lifestyle counseling for diet and physical activity. Results: At six months of follow-up, the M-App group showed significantly lower dropout rates compared to standard care (p = 0.01). The risk of dropout was significantly higher in controls compared to the intervention group (OR 3.86, 95% C.I. 1.39–10.42, p = 0.01). After one year, we observed lower albeit non-statistically significant dropout rates in the M-App compared to the standard care group (p = 0.24). No differences were observed in z-score BMI and percentage of BMI reduction between the two groups. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the mobile app might help in the clinical management of children and adolescents with obesity in terms of dropout reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to identifying new approaches to improve workplace well-being and manage stress with the help of m-health solutions. The primary purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current use of smartphone applications integrated with wearable technologies in stress management and the promotion of well-being in the workplace. A key terms literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases. The review process followed the international PRISMA statement guidelines. A quality assessment was conducted using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. A total of 25 eligible papers published between 2016 and 2023 were included. Interventions proposed were heterogeneous and primarily based on smartphone applications (72%). 84% of the interventions had background theories, with a high preference for Mindfulness. Interventions were reported as generally significant, and the combined use of smartphone applications and wearable technologies increased awareness at the individual and collective levels. In conclusion, the review demonstrates how the interventions developed through the synergy of technologies can effectively promote well-being and reduce stress in the workplace context, decreasing the stigma still related to mental health and increasing peer support strategies. This work opens the doors to several possibilities for future research. It could be interesting to indagate more in-depth the value of integration between technologies and, eventually, the integration with more traditional type of interventions, e.g., face-to-face activities, evaluating if this synergy can amplify and strengthen the results. Protocol registration: The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO: CRD42023423126 (May 2nd, 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interest in mental health smartphone applications has grown in recent years. Despite their effectiveness and advantages, special attention needs to be paid to two aspects to ensure app engagement: to include patients and professionals in their design and to guarantee their usability. The aim of this study was to analyse the perceived usability and quality of the preliminary version of RegulEm, an app based in the Unified Protocol, as part of the second stage of the app development. Methods: A parallel mixed methods study was used with 7 professionals and 4 users who were previously involved in the first stage of the development of the app. MARS, uMARS and SUS scales were used, and two focus groups were conducted. Descriptive statistical analysis and a thematic content analysis were performed in order to gather as much information as possible on RegulEm's usability and quality as well as suggestions for improvement. Results: RegulEm's usability was perceived through the SUS scale scores as good by users (75 points) and excellent by professionals (84.64 points), while its quality was perceived through the uMARS and MARS scales as good by both groups, with 4 and 4.14 points out of 5. Different areas regarding RegulEm's usability and suggestions for improvement were identified in both focus groups and 20% of the suggestions proposed were implemented in the refined version of RegulEm. Conclusion: RegulEm's usability and quality were perceived as good by users and professionals and different identified areas have contributed to its refinement. This study provides a more complete picture of RegulEm's usability and quality prior analysing its effectiveness, implementation and cost-effectiveness in Spanish public mental health units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mobile applications have the potential to enhance the effective dissemination of precise information pertaining to HIV and sexual and reproductive health. The purpose of the study is a descriptive investigation aimed at assessing the validity of video-based learning media using a procedural development model. Materials and methods: The evaluation of validity was conducted by a group of specialists in the field of material and media using a product development assessment tool in the format of video-based learning materials. Results: Based on the analysis of seventeen expert evaluations, the average score obtained for the format, language, and content components was 3.53, and for four expert media evaluations, the average score obtained for the use of learning videos was 3.42. Conclusion: The mobile health education application program for mental health, HIV voluntary counseling, and testing among the deaf community is valid and can be used in the next research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The quantification of self-triage effectiveness, guided by mobile applications, in urgent direct-to-consumer telemedicine (TM) encounters requires further investigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of referral guidance provided by a symptom-based self-management mobile application decision algorithm in the context of remote urgent care assessments. Methods: An observational retrospective single-center study was conducted from May 2022 to December 2023. The inclusion criteria encompassed individuals aged >18 years old, and those spontaneously seeking virtual emergency care through the EINSTEIN CONECTA application. Patients experiencing connectivity issues, preventing completion of the encounter, were excluded. The primary outcomes included the rate of patient concurrence with the algorithm's recommendation for seeking in-person emergency care and the referral rate to face-to-face assessment among cases evaluated through TM. The application's algorithm employs scientific evidence based on symptoms to recommend referrals to emergency departments (EDs). Results: Out of 88,834 patients connected to the TM Center, self-triage obviated the need for virtual physician assessment in 53,302 (60%) encounters. A total of 35,532 patients were remotely evaluated by 316 on-duty physicians, resulting in 1,125 ICD-coded diagnoses. Among these, 21,722 (61.1%) were initially advised by self-triage to visit the ED, with subsequent medical assessment leading to in-person referrals in 6,354 (29.3%) of the evaluations. Of the 13,810 patients recommended to continue with virtual care post-self-triage, 157 (1.1%) were referred for in-person assessment. Conclusions: Self-triage effectively reduced the need for physician encounters in approximately three-fifths of TM consultations. Despite being based on scientific evidence, symptom-based referral algorithms demonstrated high sensitivity but poor correlation with physician decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The increase in the use of mobile apps since the COVID-19 pandemic, even among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) and health care providers (HCPs), has enabled access to reliable information, symptoms monitoring and management, and social connections. The pandemic has undoubtedly contributed to the acceleration of the "digital revolution." But how far has it progressed for the MS communities? Methods: Italian Google Play and App Store were queried, selecting MS-specific apps in English or Italian language and usable by a wide public. Results:Fifty-four (n = 54) MS-specific apps were identified; most were PwMS-oriented (83%), free of charge (94%), and in English language (76%). The 45 PwMS-oriented apps focused on increasing MS knowledge (71%), tracking symptoms (33%), and promoting networking with peers or HCPs (38%). The 13 HCPs-oriented tools addressed education and updates on MS (62%), disease assessment and management (54%), and research (15%). Google Search tool was also queried to find non-MS–specific apps to fulfill some unmet domains (as sleep, pain, sexual or mental health). Twenty-four additional apps were listed to provide a valuable contribution. Conclusion: The "digital revolution" led to increasingly customized tools for PwMS, especially as m-health or social-networking apps. However, apps to support other specific MS-relevant domains, appealing HCPs-oriented apps, and specific mobile tools for MS caregivers are still lacking. The absence of data assessing the usability and quality of MS apps in ecologically contexts leads to not reliable conclusions about potential benefits. A strong dialogue between MS communities and the digital industry is encouraged to fill this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A healthy lifestyle comprising regular physical activity and an adequate diet is imperative for the prevention of non‐communicable diseases such as hypertension and some cancers. Advances in information computer technology offer the opportunity to provide personalised lifestyle advice directly to the individual through devices such as smartphones or tablets. The overall aim of the PROTEIN project (Wilson‐Barnes et al., 2021) was to develop a smartphone application that could provide tailored and dynamic nutrition and physical activity advice directly to the individual in real time. However, to create this mobile health (m‐health) smartphone application, a knowledge base of reference ranges for macro‐/micronutrient intake, anthropometry, biochemical, physiological and sleep parameters was required to underpin the parameters of the recommender systems. Therefore, the principal aim of this emerging research paper is to describe the process by which experts in nutrition and physiology from the PROTEIN consortium collaborated to develop the nutritional and physical activity requirements, based upon existing recommendations, for 10 separate population groups living within the EU including, but not limited to healthy adults, adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, excess weight, obesity and iron deficiency anaemia. A secondary aim is to describe the development of a library of 24‐h meal plans appropriate for the same groups and also encompassing various dietary preferences and allergies. Overall, the consortium devised an extensive nutrition and physical activity knowledge base that is pertinent to 10 separate EU user groups, is available in 7 different languages and is practically implemented via a library of culturally appropriate, 24‐h meal plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health and exercise technology may promote a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to understand and involve the perspective of pregnant women as users in the design of a framework for future e-health and exercise interventions during pregnancy. Pregnant women replied to a questionnaire aimed at understanding their physical activity patterns, needs, and preferences regarding the use of mobile applications (apps). The main results showed that one-third of the women did not practice any type of exercise during pregnancy. Women preferred to exercise in a gym, outdoors, or at home. The majority already had or were currently using a fitness app, but never used any pregnancy-specific app. Most women agreed that it was important to have a specific app for pregnancy to improve knowledge about recommendations on lifestyle, have direct contact with health and exercise professionals, have social interaction with other mothers, and have guidance on preparation for childbirth and postpartum recovery. Understanding and involving the perspective of pregnant women as users will allow researchers to improve the design of a pregnancy-specific app and future e-health and exercise interventions during pregnancy. These preliminary results will lead to the development of the "active pregnancy app" focused on the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Growth of international travel to malarial areas over the last decades has contributed to more travelers taking malaria prophylaxis. Travel-related symptoms may be wrongly attributed to malaria prophylaxis and hinder compliance. Here, we aimed to assess the frequency of real-time reporting of symptoms by travelers following malaria prophylaxis using a smartphone app. Method:Adult international travelers included in this single-center study (Barcelona, Spain) used the smartphone Trip Doctor® app developed by our group for real-time tracking of symptoms and adherence to prophylaxis. Results:Six hundred four (n = 604) international travelers were included in the study; 74.3% (449) used the app daily, and for one-quarter of travelers, malaria prophylaxis was prescribed. Participants from the prophylaxis group traveled more to Africa (86.7% vs. 4.3%; p < 0.01) and to high travel medical risk countries (60.8% vs. 18%; p < 0.01) and reported more immunosuppression (30.8% vs. 23.1% p < 0.01). Regarding symptoms, no significant intergroup differences were observed, and no relationship was found between the total number of malarial pills taken and reported symptoms. Conclusions:In our cohort, the number of symptoms due to malaria prophylaxis was not significantly higher than in participants for whom prophylaxis was not prescribed, and the overall proportion of symptoms is higher compared with other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design, implementation and validation of a novel fitness mobile application called CalAid, aimed at promoting an active lifestyle, in the context of ever growing sedentarism in population of all ages. The application uses sensors present in most modern smartphones such as motion sensors, the 3-axial accelerometer, the gyroscope and the step counter in order to track energy expenditure and to obtain a more precise approximation of consumed calories. By using machine learning we can recognize the activities performed by the application client and, using metabolic equivalents, find the energy expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The widespread adoption of mobile devices by adolescents underscores the potential to harness these tools to instill healthy habits into their daily lives. An exemplary manifestation of this initiative is the Healthy Jeart app, crafted with the explicit goal of fostering well-being. Methodology: This study, framed within an applied investigation, adopts an exploratory and descriptive approach, specifically delving into the realm of user experience analysis. The focus of this research is a preliminary examination aimed at understanding users' perceived usability of the application. To glean insights, a comprehensive questionnaire was administered to 101 teenagers, seeking their evaluations on various usability attributes. The study took place during 2022. Results: The findings reveal a considerable consensus among users regarding the evaluated usability aspects. However, the areas for improvement predominantly revolve around managing the information density, particularly for a subset of end users grappling with overwhelming content. Additionally, recommendations are put forth to streamline the confirmation process for user suggestions and comments. Conclusion: This analysis illuminates both the strengths of the app and areas ripe for refinement, paving the way for a more user-centric and efficacious Healthy Jeart application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the manner in which mobile health applications contribute to the empowerment of patients. The theoretical background included m-health, user empowerment and value co-creation. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to investigate the representative case study of the Kangaroo application, a free app designed by a health-tech start-up and a reference Brazilian hospital which seeks to make Brazilian women empowered for a healthy pregnancy. The data collection effort comprised application log analysis of 6 months of records of almost one-hundred thousand users, a mobile-based survey with approximately 400 women, and 16 in-depth interviews. The results demonstrated that the app's social features impacted more than personal features. This research's results suggested that the perception of patient empowerment is not greater for the active users of the application, so the patient is not related to 'doing', but rather to 'being able to do'. The participation of specialised professionals, who moderate and interact with the app community, is valued by the users and mentioned as a differential among other health information sources available on the Web. This study was approved by the Brazilian Research Ethics Committee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effectiveness of a theory-based mHealth intervention on the quality of life (QOL) of people living with HIV. A randomized controlled trial was performed at two outpatient clinics in Hanoi, Vietnam. There were 428 patients with HIV/AIDs in selected clinics and were divided into the intervention arm (receiving HIV-assisted smartphone application and usual care) and the control arm (receiving only usual care). The WHOQOLHIV-BREF instrument was utilized to measure QOL. An intention-to-treat approach using Generalized Linear Mixed Model analysis was performed. The trial showed significant improvements in Physical health, Psychological health, and Level of Dependence among patients in the intervention arm compared to the control arm. However, the Environment and Spirituality/Personal beliefs improvements would require additional interventions, both individual, organizational, or governmental. This study explored the utility of a smartphone mobile application for individuals with HIV, and how the resultant application could improve the overall QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The research aimed to examine the effect of a lifestyle intervention program using mobile application versus booklet for adults with metabolic syndrome in Hong Kong. The outcomes comprised body weight (primary outcome), exercise amount, improvement of cardiometabolic risk factors, cardiovascular endurance, perceived stress scale, and exercise self‐efficacy. Design A three‐arm randomized controlled trial namely App group, Booklet group, and control group was adopted. Methods: Two hundred sixty‐four adults with metabolic syndrome were recruited from community centers from 2019 to December 2021. Inclusion criteria are those adults with metabolic syndrome, able to use a smart phone. All participants received a 30‐min health talk. App group additionally received a mobile application, while Booklet group received a booklet, and the control group received a placebo booklet. Data were collected at baseline, Weeks 4, 12, and 24. SPSS and generalized estimating equations (GEE) model were employed for data analysis. Findings Attrition rates were minimal, ranged from 2.65% to 6.44%. Both app and booklet group showed significant improvement in outcomes (exercise amount, waist circumference) when compared to control group. However, statistically significant and superior results were observed in app group, including body weight, exercise amount, waist circumference, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure when compared to booklet group. Conclusion: The lifestyle intervention supported with app was found to be superior to the booklet support for reducing body weight and maintaining exercise. Clinical Relevance: The lifestyle intervention program using mobile application support could be used widely for adults with metabolic syndrome in the community. Suggest nurses may incorporate this program in their health promotion strategies focusing on a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of progression to metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence to support the potential benefit of e-Health interventions targeting psychosocial outcomes and/or pain-related psychological variables for chronic pain conditions, including fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). This systematic review aims at providing an in-depth description of the available e-Health psychological and/or multicomponent interventions for patients with FMS. Searches were made in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and PsycINFO up to 15 May 2023, finally including twenty-six articles. The quality of the included articles was medium–high (average quality assessment score of 77.1%). 50% of studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 13), and the majority of them focused exclusively on adult patients with FMS (n = 23) who were predominantly female. Four categories of e-Health modalities were identified: web-based (n = 19), mobile application (m-Health) (n = 3), virtual reality (VR) (n = 2), and video consulting (n = 2). Interventions were mainly based on the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach (n = 14) and mostly involved contact with a healthcare professional through different digital tools. Overall, a growing number of psychological and multicomponent interventions have been created and delivered using digital tools in the context of FMS, showing their potentiality for improving psychosocial outcomes and pain-related psychological variables. However, some digital tools resulted as underrepresented, and the literature on this topic appears highly heterogeneous precluding robust conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with psychosis report favourable attitudes towards psychological interventions delivered via smartphone apps. Evidence for acceptability, safety, feasibility and efficacy is promising but in-depth reporting of app engagement in trials is sparse. To examine how people with psychosis engaged with the cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)-informed Actissist app over a 12-week intervention period, and to examine factors associated with app engagement. Secondary data from participants in the intervention arm (n = 24) of a proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial of the Actissist app were analysed. The app prompted participants to engage with app-based CBT-informed material in five domains (voices, socialization, cannabis use, paranoia, perceived criticism) at pseudo-random intervals (three notifications per day, six days per week). Participants could self-initiate use any time. App use was financially incentivised. Participants responded to 47% of app notifications. Most app engagements (87%) were app-initiated rather than self-initiated. Participants engaged most with the voices domain, then paranoia. Age and employment status were significantly associated with overall app engagement. Individuals with psychosis engaged well with Actissist, particularly with areas focussing on voice-hearing and paranoia. App-generated reminders successfully prompted app engagement. As financial incentives may have increased app engagement, future studies of non-incentivized engagement in larger samples are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of mobile health (m-Health) applications (apps) has been widely studied, but its continuance has not. This study endeavors to address this gap by examining the factors that motivate the continued use of m-Health using consumers of sugar-related mobile apps in Australia as a case. To do so, this study extrapolates the technology acceptance model for technology adoption to explain the technology continuance of m-Health by adapting and extending its associated tenets informed by prior literature. This study also performs structural equation modeling on a sample of 306 usable responses from a randomly crowdsource online survey of sugar-related mobile app users in Australia. In doing so, this study finds that consumers' continuance intention of m-Health apps is driven primarily by the ease of using and social influence toward such apps. Upon further scrutiny, this study observes that the influence of usefulness and enjoyment of such apps on continuance intention is fully mediated and thus manifests indirectly through the usage habits shaped by the ease of m-Health app usage. The implications of the findings for theory and practice and the limitations of and future research directions from the study conclude the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the level of awareness, beliefs and experience of healthcare professionals (HCPs) regarding mobile applications for self-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: This review was done by searching the literature using three databases viz: PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Assessment of quality of studies was carried out using the scale of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The results were presented in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Results: The search strategy identified 725 unique research papers, 4 of which were included. A survey among pharmacists showed that 56 % of participants were aware of the existence of mobile health applications, and that 60 % of those who were aware recommended their use. In the multi-HCPs setting, depending on the study, apps recommendation rate varied from 45.5 to 62 %. Most of the participants (88 %) agreed that a mobile app would help strengthen their treatment recommendations to the patients (88 %), and 84 % also agreed that it would help patients manage diabetes better. Conclusion: Not much research has been done on this topic. Available data suggest that the awareness of HCPs regarding mobile applications is unsatisfactory, and that those familiar with these apps find them useful and are ready to recommend them to patients. There is need for further research and measures to increase awareness and knowledge of HCPs about available mobile applications, in order to ensure adequate support to patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Mobile applications in clinical treatment are becoming increasingly popular among cancer patients and survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the importance of digital interventions in patient monitoring. We conducted a scoping review and classified Mobile Health (mHealth) trials into sub-groups based on intervention methodologies, lifestyle variables, and their effectiveness on cancer health outcomes. Our study identified the key elements of the mHealth approach for cancer care, including interactive support, personalized suggestions, active participation of users, wearable technology and rigorous theory-based solutions. We also established a taxonomy that can be employed by application developers and medical specialists in developing future mHealth cancer care solutions. Mobile Health (mHealth) has a great potential to enhance the self-management of cancer patients and survivors. Our study aimed to perform a scoping review to evaluate the impact and trends of mobile application-based interventions on adherence and their effects on health outcomes among the cancer population. In addition, we aimed to develop a taxonomy of mobile-app-based interventions to assist app developers and healthcare researchers in creating future mHealth cancer care solutions. Relevant articles were screened from the online databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus, spanning the time period from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2022. Of the 4135 articles initially identified, 55 were finally selected for the review. In the selected studies, breast cancer was the focus of 20 studies (36%), while mixed cancers were the subject of 23 studies (42%). The studies revealed that the usage rate of mHealth was over 80% in 41 of the 55 studies, with factors such as guided supervision, personalized suggestions, theoretical intervention foundations, and wearable technology enhancing adherence and efficacy. However, cancer progression, technical challenges, and unfamiliarity with devices were common factors that led to dropouts. We also proposed a taxonomy based on diverse theoretical foundations of mHealth interventions, delivery methods, psycho-educational programs, and social platforms. We suggest that future research should investigate, improve, and verify this taxonomy classification to enhance the design and efficacy of mHealth interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This research aims to assess the users' perceptions of usability and quality of mobile health applications used for promoting physical activity in Saudi Arabia. Methods This was a quantitative cross-sectional study. A survey was developed based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) and distributed among the Saudi population through social media to assess the users' perceptions of using mobile applications to enhance physical activity. The survey questionnaire consisted of 27 questions in six sections, including demographics (nine items), perceived usefulness (three items), perceived ease of use (three items), attitudes (three items), user experience (six items) and subjective quality (three items). All the participants were in Saudi Arabia and >15 y of age. Results A total of 195 m-Health users participated in the survey. Of the total participants, 25.1% were overweight and 21.0% were obese. The workout frequency of most users was rarely (32.3%) and three to four times a week (29.2%). In addition, 55.9% of the users agreed that the application they use served all fitness levels and >80% either agreed or strongly agreed that it was easy for them to learn how to use the application. More than 70% of users agreed or strongly agreed that the application enhanced their knowledge of workouts and physical activity and >90% would recommend the application to others. There were no differences identified between the male and female participants and younger (<40 y) and older (>40 y) participants with respect to perceived usefulness and ease of use, attitudes, experiences and subjective quality. However, significant differences were observed between participants <40 y and >40 y of age in terms of perceived ease of use of mHealth applications. Conclusion mHealth users across Saudi Arabia believe that the mHealth applications have good usability and quality factors. As a result, they can motivate people and help them achieve their goals in relation to physical activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes represents an important public health challenge in India and globally. It affects the quality of life and is one of the leading causes of death and disability. The burden on global health is huge, and about 463 million adults are currently living with diabetes. 77 million people in India in the age group of 20-79 years are affected by this pandemic, and the total cost of health expenditure is 8 billion US dollars. This is a huge burden and a great economic cost to public health. The research aims to explore the concept of diabetes self-management and major research questions would comprise asking what affects self-management in people with diabetes and how mhealth applications and interventions can impact the self-management behaviors in development and the utility of the m-health apps in self-management of people with diabetes. Objective: To design, develop, and assess the impact of an m-health-enabled nutrition informatics intervention for home-based type 2 diabetes self-management in an Indian setting. Methods: The study is divided into three phases, in the first phase a systematic literature review of global and Indian literature using Scoping review method using PRISMA-SCR tool to report on various m-health interventions on Self-care management regimes on type 2 diabetes and Nutrition informatics will evaluate the effectiveness and utility of m-health application developed on Selfcare management with nutrition informatics will be reported. In the second phase m-health application on Selfcare management and nutrition informatics regime will be built in the third phase of the study evaluation of the m-health application will be done using System Usability Scale (SUS) usability and mixed research evaluation with end-users using Diabetes based management system (DBMS)questionnaire. A mixed research study between January 2023 and April 2023. A sample of approximately 250 individuals to be recruited online, enrolled in the m-health application using a nonprobability complete enumeration sampling method from selected urban settings in Delhi & all over India. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for males and females aged 20-79 years old with Type 2 diabetes and access to a smartphone. Results: A sample of 250 individuals will go through a pretested DBMS questionnaire. The data collection will be initiated in June 2022, and the initial results are planned for publication by July 2023. Out of n=250 individuals, at least 120 individuals will be retained in the study. A qualitative study using descriptive analysis of the gathered data will be performed using SPSS V11, and reporting of the results will be done at 95% CIs and P=.0.05. Conclusions: The findings of the study using scoping review would inform the elements essential for the development of m-health to improve self-care management of diabetes at home settings in India and its wider application in the global framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurological disorders worldwide, and self-management is considered an essential dimension in its control. This study aimed to develop an evidence-based mobile application for MS self-management and evaluate it. Methods: This study was undertaken in three phases: content preparation, design, and evaluation. In the content preparation phase, the researchers extracted MS self-management needs based on related guidelines and guides, existing apps on the self-management of MS, and the field experts' views and confirmation. The design phase was conducted in five steps: defining app functionalities, depicting the wireframe, preparing the media, coding the app, and testing the app's performance. The app was developed using the Android Studio environment and Java programming language for the Android operating system. The performance of the developed app was tested separately in several turns, and existing defects were corrected in each turn. Finally, after using the app for three weeks, the app was evaluated for its short-term impact on MS management and user-friendliness using a researcher-constructed questionnaire from participants' (N = 20) perspectives. Results: The IDoThis app is an offline app for people with MS that includes five main modules: three modules for training or informing users about different aspects of MS, one module for monitoring the user's MS condition, and a reporting module. In the initial evaluation of the app, 75% (n = 15) of participants mentioned that using this app improved MS self-management status at intermediate and higher levels, but 25% (n = 5) of the participants mentioned that the effect of using the app on the self-management tasks was low or was very low. The majority of users rated the user-friendliness of the app as high. The users found the sections "exercises in MS" and "monitoring of MS status" beneficial to their self-management. Still, the fatigue and sleep management sections are needed to meet users' expectations. Conclusion: Using IDoThis app as a self-management tool for individuals with MS appears feasible, that can meet the need for a free and accessible self-management tool for individuals with MS. Future directions should consider the users' fatigue and sleep management expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study the feasibility and effectiveness of a m‐Health app in improving the management of rheumatoid arthritis. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Sixty rheumatoid arthritis participants will be recruited for a 6‐month feasibility study. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to receive standard care or standard care plus the m‐Health intervention. The primary outcome is the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial. In addition, we will investigate patient satisfaction in using the "Rheumatism Center" app in the intervention group. The secondary outcomes include the scores for the simplified disease activity index, clinical disease activity index, disease activity score 28, health assessment questionnaire and 6‐item self‐efficacy scale for chronic diseases. The assessments will be performed at baseline and at 4 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the study is initiated. At the end of the study, we will also collect user views of the app through qualitative interviews. Results: This study is ongoing. The findings of this study will determine the feasibility and effectiveness of m‐Health intervention in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, hoping to enhance the awareness of disease management and quality of life for rheumatoid arthritis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Pelvic floor exercises are effective in the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) and are routinely prescribed, along with bladder training, by primary healthcare providers as first line conservative management. Mobile phone applications are increasingly popular within the healthcare setting and can provide opportunities for patients to complete treatments at home. To date, there has not been a systematic review examining outcomes from randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of mobile applications to improve UI. Methods A systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of mobile applications to improve UI was carried out according to the PRISMA reporting guidelines. The online databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), Google Scholar were searched for papers published between 2007 to 2020. Keywords and MeSH terms were used to identify relevant English language studies. The quality and risk of bias within included studies was assessed by two independent reviewers, RCT JBI critical appraisal tool. Due to heterogeneity in the outcome of studies, a meta-analysis of the data could not be conducted. Findings Four studies reported an improvement in the outcome assessed post-intervention, suggesting that using mobile phone applications for pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) was an acceptable and valid intervention to improve UI. Conclusion Mobile applications for PFMT indicated that increase adherence to treatment and decrease UI. The integration of this treatment modality into current practice is recommended. Mobile phone applications for PFMT show promise in the conservative management of UI. Further research is required to support the use of this technology in the conservative management of UI.

Background: The advance in digital media technologies has enabled the development of technologically mediated health care solutions. Mobile health app for mental health care is one of such innovative tools to monitor and manage users' mental health and psychological well-being. Objective: This study examines the factors predicting the acceptance of mental health app (MHA) that are: technological (i.e., perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness) and sociocultural (i.e., perceived stigma toward mental health treatment and prior experience of face-to-face mental health service utilization). Methods: Using structural equation modeling, we tested an extended Technology Acceptance Model with data from the Healthy Minds Study, a web-based national survey of U.S. college students (N = 429). Results: In addition to the technological factors, the sociocultural factors significantly influenced MHA acceptance. Notably, college students with higher levels of stigma toward mental health treatment were less likely to have experience of using face-to-face mental health service. This, in turn, led to more openness to accepting MHA that does not involve in-person visits but rather private and mediated communication. Conclusions: Findings of this study provide critical insight into the increasing needs for and use of mobile apps for mental health care. Implications are discussed and future research directions are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The large health disparities among those diagnosed with schizophrenia urgently need to be addressed. These disparities are partially caused by adverse health behaviours such as smoking. Smoking cessation apps vary in efficacy across various populations, and there are concerns regarding the accessibility and usability of apps for people with schizophrenia. Objective: This review identifies and examines the feasibility of using apps for smoking cessation in people with schizophrenia. Methods: A non-systematic narrative literature review of smoking cessation apps for individuals with schizophrenia was performed. Results: Eight studies were included in this review. Conclusion: Smoking cessation apps can be acceptable and feasible, but may need to be tailored to the needs of people with schizophrenia. Key messages: (1) Smoking cessation apps could be acceptable and feasible for use in people with schizophrenia; (2) Lack of motivation was perceived as the main potential barrier with regard to people with schizophrenia engaging with smoking cessation apps; (3) In order to improve motivation of people diagnosed with schizophrenia, apps could include games, rewards, and/or social support; (4) Smoking cessation apps with a simple interface seem to be beneficial for this population; (5) Apps may need to be tailored to consider this population's mental health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Proposition of an accurate and fast method for glaucoma screening based on the vessel displacement. • Achievement of higher performance detection with smartphone captured fundus images. • Implementation of the method into a smartphone to provide a mobile aided screening system for glaucoma. The glaucoma is an eye disease that causes blindness when it progresses in an advanced stage. Early glaucoma diagnosis is essential to prevent the vision loss. However, early detection is not covered due to the lack of ophthalmologists and the limited accessibility to retinal image capture devices. In this paper, we present an automated method for glaucoma screening dedicated for Smartphone Captured Fundus Images (SCFIs). The implementation of the method into a smartphone associated to an optical lens for retina capturing leads to a mobile aided screening system for glaucoma. The challenge consists in insuring higher performance detection despite the moderate quality of SCFIs, with a reduced execution time to be adequate for the clinical use. The main idea consists in deducing glaucoma based on the vessel displacement inside the Optic Disk (OD), where the vessel tree remains sufficiently modeled on SCFIs. Within this objective, our major contribution consists in proposing: (1) a robust processing for locating vessel centroids in order to adequately model the vessel distribution, and (2) a feature vector that relevantly reflect two main glaucoma biomarkers in terms of vessel displacement. Furthermore, all processing steps are carefully chosen based on lower complexity, to be suitable for fast clinical screening. A first evaluation of our method is performed using the two public DRISHTI-DB and DRIONS-DB databases, where 99% and 95% accuracy, 96.77% and 97,5% specificity and 100% and 95% sensitivity are respectively achieved. Thereafter, the method is evaluated using two fundus image databases respectively captured through a smartphone and retinograph for the same persons. We achieve 100% accuracy using both databases which assesses the robustness of our method. In addition, the detection is performed on 0.027 and 0.029 second when executed respectively on the Samsung-M51 on the Samsung-A70 smartphone devices. Our proposed smartphone app provides a cost-effective and widely accessible mobile platform for early screening of glaucoma in remote clinics or areas with limited access to fundus cameras and ophthalmologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Testing facilities for COVID-19 were stood up around the country during the pandemic, but could not handle the demand. This study aimed to combine a mobile application (App) with an at-home test kit to facilitate home-based testing. Methods: After integrating an App with an at-home testing service, we measured the time between sample collection and notification of results. We recruited 92 volunteers to utilize the platform. Results: Sixty-one percent (55/92) responded to the survey. Median sample collection-to-result time was 2.2 days (IQR = 1.3–3.2). Eighty-two percent (45/55) found the self-test kit and App easy to use. Eighty-four percent agreed that the combined solution is an acceptable way to receive health care services. Discussion: Decreasing testing time and providing timely test results improve care access and decrease the risk of infection. Combining a tailored App with an at-home testing service is a feasible solution to reaching that goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic pain is a prolonged condition that deteriorates one's quality of life. Treating chronic pain requires a multicomponent approach, and in many cases, there are no “silver bullet” solutions. Mobile health (mHealth) is a rapidly expanding category of solutions in digital health with proven potential in chronic pain management. Objective: This study aims to contrast the viewpoints of 2 groups of people with chronic pain concerning mHealth: people who have adopted the use of mHealth and those who have not. We highlight the benefits of mHealth solutions for people with chronic pain and the perceived obstacles to their increased adoption. We also provide recommendations to encourage people to try mHealth solutions as part of their self-care. Methods: The Prolific crowdsourcing platform was used to collect crowdsourced data. A prescreening questionnaire was released to determine what type of pain potential participants have and whether they are currently using mHealth solutions for chronic pain. The participants were invited based on their experience using mHealth to manage their pain. Similar questions were presented to mHealth users and nonusers. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed to determine the outcomes of this study. Results: In total, 31 responses were collected from people (aged 19-63 years, mean 31.4, SD 12.1) with chronic pain who use mHealth solutions. Two-thirds (n=20, 65%) of the users identified as female and 11 (35%) as male. We matched these mHealth users with an equal number of nonusers: 31 responses from the pool of 361 participants in the prescreening questionnaire. The nonusers’ ages ranged from 18 to 58 years (mean 30.8, SD 11.09), with 15 (50%) identifying as female and 15 (50%) as male. Likert-scale questions were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon (MWW) test. Results showed that the 2 groups differed significantly on 10 (43%) of 23 questions and shared similar views in the remaining 13 (57%). The most significant differences were related to privacy and interactions with health professionals. Of the 31 mHealth users, 12 (39%) declared that using mHealth solutions has made interacting with health or social care professionals easier (vs n=22, 71%, of nonusers). The majority of the nonusers (n=26, 84%) compared with about half of the users (n=15, 48%) expressed concern about sharing their data with, for example, third parties. Conclusions: This study investigated how mHealth is currently used in the context of chronic pain and what expectations mHealth nonusers have for mHealth as a future chronic pain management tool. Analysis revealed contrasts between mHealth use expectations and actual usage experiences, highlighting privacy concerns toward mHealth solutions. Generally, the results showed that nonusers are more concerned about data privacy and expect mHealth to facilitate interacting with health professionals. The users, in contrast, feel that such connections do not exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Despite the growing popularity of mobile app interventions, specific engagement components of mobile apps have not been well studied. Methods:The objectives of this scoping review are to determine which components of mobile health intervention apps encouraged or hindered engagement, and examine how studies measured engagement. Results:A PubMed search on March 5, 2020 yielded 239 articles that featured the terms engagement, mobile app/mobile health, and adult. After applying exclusion criteria, only 54 studies were included in the final analysis. Discussion:Common app components associated with increased engagement included: personalized content/feedback, data visualization, reminders/push notifications, educational information/material, logging/self-monitoring functions, and goal-setting features. On the other hand, social media integration, social forums, poor app navigation, and technical difficulties appeared to contribute to lower engagement rates or decreased usage. Notably, the review revealed a great variability in how engagement with mobile health apps is measured due to lack of established processes. Conclusion:There is a critical need for controlled studies to provide guidelines and standards to help facilitate engagement and its measurement in research and clinical trial work using mobile health intervention apps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dementia was caregivers experience tremendous difficulties both physically and psychologically, leading to high levels of depression and caregiver burden. The advantage of mobile interventions has been recognized due to its freedom from time and space restrictions. Objectives: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate effectiveness of app-based mobile interventions for dementia caregivers. Method: We searched nine different databases including CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, the ACM digital library, IEEE Xplore, KoreaMed, and RISS for publications on app-based mobile interventions targeting dementia caregivers published in English or Korean. Meta-analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) version 3.0. Standard mean difference (SMD) was used to estimate the effectiveness of the intervention on caregiver-related outcomes of caregiver burden, depression, stress, caregiving competency, and quality of life (QoL). Results: Five studies (three randomized controlled trials and two quasi-experimental studies) with a total of 230 participants were included. Using a mobile device, interventions were used to provide information and feedback, perform monitoring, and conduct skill training. Pooled analysis showed favorable effects of app-based mobile interventions for caregivers on caregiver burden (SMD = −0.315, 95% CI: −0.681 to 0.052), depression (SMD = −0.236, 95% CI: −0.517 to 0.046), stress (SMD = −0.295, 95% CI: −0.708 to 0.118), competency (SMD = 0.434, 95% CI: 0.093–0.775), and QoL (SMD = 0.794, 95% CI: 0.310–1.278). Conclusion: Types of mobile devices, lengths, and contents of interventions varied between included studies. Given that only five studies were included, the current meta-analysis could not confirm the effectiveness of app-based mobile interventions. However, this study suggests that app-based mobile interventions for dementia caregivers might have positive effects on diverse caregiving-related issues such as caregiver burden, depression, stress, competency, and QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pelvic floor exercises are effective in the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) and are routinely prescribed, along with bladder training, by primary healthcare providers as first line conservative management. Mobile phone applications are increasingly popular within the healthcare setting and can provide opportunities for patients to complete treatments at home. To date, there has not been a systematic review examining outcomes from randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of mobile applications to improve UI. Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of mobile applications to improve UI was carried out according to the PRISMA reporting guidelines. The online databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Library, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), Google Scholar were searched for papers published between 2007 to 2020. Keywords and MeSH terms were used to identify relevant English language studies. The quality and risk of bias within included studies was assessed by two independent reviewers, RCT JBI critical appraisal tool. Due to heterogeneity in the outcome of studies, a meta-analysis of the data could not be conducted. Findings: Four studies reported an improvement in the outcome assessed post-intervention, suggesting that using mobile phone applications for pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) was an acceptable and valid intervention to improve UI. Conclusion: Mobile applications for PFMT indicated that increase adherence to treatment and decrease UI. The integration of this treatment modality into current practice is recommended. Mobile phone applications for PFMT show promise in the conservative management of UI. Further research is required to support the use of this technology in the conservative management of UI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points: The unmet needs of women with gynecologic cancers (GCs) can be readily addressed using high quality e‐platformsThis pilot study documents women with GC perceptions of BELONG (https://belong.life/)—a cancer navigation and support Application (or App) connecting patients diagnosed with various types of cancersWomen (N = 25), with GCs (stages I to IV), used the App for 8 weeks and completed the user Mobile Application Rating ScaleRatings of BELONG in domains of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information were high, with Ask an Oncologist, Ovarian Cancer Community, Clinical Trials, Treatment Information, and Support Resources representing the most frequently accessed topicsAs e‐platforms are developed at a rapid pace, users' input and evaluation of platform quality and utility should be prioritized [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic physical conditions (CPC) decrease the quality of life of millions of people. In the absence of curative treatments, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is one of the main pillars in their clinical management. Mobile‐based interventions may help patients take care of their health and follow medical recommendations. The purpose of this review is to summarise the latest evidence about mobile telephone applications (apps) for the management of CPC. Methods: We performed a systematic search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify articles that explored apps for the management of CPC, testing the apps empirically and providing clear outputs on effectiveness and/or feasibility. A total of 3528 articles were identified in the initial search. Following screening and selection process, 20 articles were included in the final review. Results: Mobile apps for CPC are very heterogeneous. The condition with the greater number of apps available was diabetes, followed by cardiovascular diseases. Results of feasibility were generally positive, with high rates of study completion and user engagement. Some studies used incentives, monetary of otherwise. Some of the apps have been tested in randomised controlled trials showing effectiveness in improving symptoms and/or controlling analytical parameters. Conclusions: Mobile apps are promising tools for the management of CPC. Some apps have been sufficiently tested to propose their implementation in clinical practice. However, several barriers exist that can slow down the routine use of new technologies in healthcare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis use represents the most commonly illicit drug intake worldwide. m-Health interventions have the potential to play a key role in the fight against cannabis intake issues. A steadily increasing number of m-Health apps are currently available on commercial app stores to support psychoactive substance users. This study aims at exploring technical and functional characteristics of available m-Health-apps intended for non-medical Cannabis Use and Dependence (CUD). We carried out a scoping review following guidance from Arksey & O'Malley. We searched in Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science databases end of March 2021. Only five papers fitted our inclusion criteria out of 113 studies. Four out of five included studies reported a decrease of cannabis use and adequate feasibility and acceptability of m-Health apps. Most of these studies used self-reported questionnaires. More studies are need to rigourously assess the usability and effective of m-Health apps for CUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the high prevalence of attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the problems that this disorder causes for patients and their parents, scientist believe that the treatment of this disorder is particularly important. Among the available treatments, sensory integration and sensory diet has proven to have a powerful impact on the improvement of these children. In the present study, we aimed to design and evaluate a sensory diet mobile application for children with ADHD. Methods: We conducted the present applied developmental research in two stages. First, we performed a needs assessment with 15 occupational therapists; then, the prototype of the mobile application was designed under the Android platform. Finally, to evaluate the usability and satisfaction of users with the QUIS (version 5.5), we tested the application with 12 parents of children with ADHD after two weeks of using the program. Also, we analyzed the data through descriptive statistics using SPSS (version 22). Results: The participants confirmed the six definitions out of 14 needs, nine out of 10 features of the application, and all 67 exercises. Also, general section of the designed program includes: The patient profile, the definition of attention deficit/ hyperactivity, the definition of a sensory diet, exercise list, weekly exercise schedule, the record of exercise date, and a section for setting. Mobile application usability evaluation showed that the users evaluated the application with a mean score of 8.35 out of nine points which is considered at a good level. Conclusion: Sensory diet mobile application can be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main objective of this research was to investigate the opinion of the population of Saudi Arabia on the use and acceptability of the Wateen application. Methods: This research was a quantitative cross-sectional study in which an online questionnaire was distributed among the target population who were healthy people over 18 years of age that had used or known about the Wateen application. A total of 352 participants responded to the questionnaire. The data collection was carried out between November and December 2020. A basic descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: The participants had used the Wateen app to follow the donation record, as a reminder of donation dates, to find lists and blood bank locations, to request blood donation, and to find donation requests on social media. After receiving the blood donation request from the Wateen app, majority of the respondents felt encouraged, motivated, and educated to donate blood, and about blood donation, respectively. Participants also indicated that the application helped them to find donors. Besides, majority of the respondents stated that the Wateen app had reduced the gap between blood donors and the need for blood. However, few participants expressed that they had not received or observed a post about the Wateen application on social media networks. Conclusion: The results of this research indicated that there is a general acceptance of the use of the Wateen app among the participants of this study. However, the importance of the Wateen app needs to be further advertised so that it can be used in the blood donation process in all regions of Saudi Arabia. In this way, the people of Saudi Arabia will be more aware of the importance of the Wateen app in the blood donation process, and the goal of the Ministry of Health of bridging the gap between donation centers and blood donors could be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to review and analysis of the state of the art regarding triage applications (apps) for health emergencies. This research is based on a systematic review of the literature in scientific databases from 2010 to early 2021, following a prism methodology. In addition, a Google Play Store search of the triage apps found in the literature was performed for further evaluation. A total of 26 relevant papers were obtained for this study, of which 13 apps were identified. After searching for each of these apps in the Google Play Store platform, only 2 of them were obtained, and these were subsequently evaluated together with another app obtained from the link provided in the corresponding paper. In the analysis carried out, it was detected that from 2019 onwards there has been an increase in research interest in this area, since the papers obtained from this year onwards represent 38.5% of the relevant papers. This increase may be caused by the need for early selection of the most serious patients in such difficult times for the health service. According to the review carried out, an increase in mobile app research focused on Emergency Triage and a decrease in app studies for triage catastrophe have been identified. In this study it was also observed that despite the existence of many researches in this sense, only 3 apps contained in them are accessible. "TRIAGIST" does not allow the entry of an unidentified user, "Major Trauma Triage Tool" presents negative comments from users who have used it and "ESITriage" lacks updates to improve its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Road traffic accidents have been one of the leading causes of death. Despite the increasing trend of road traffic apps, there is no comprehensive analysis of their features and no taxonomy for the apps based on traffic safety theories. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of available mobile apps on road traffic health/safety and classify them with emphasis on Haddon's matrix.Methods: The researchers examined the mobile applications related to road traffic health/safety using qualitative content analysis. Google Play was searched using a combination of the keywords. Haddon's matrix was applied to analyze and classify those mobile apps residing in the categories of Road Traffic health & Safety, and Road Traffic Training.Results: Overall, 913 mobile apps met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Classification of the apps based on their features resulted in 4 categories and 21 subcategories. A total number of 657 mobile apps were classified based on Haddon's matrix. About 45.67% of these apps were categorized as the road traffic health & safety group.Conclusions: Haddon's matrix appears to have the potential to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of existing mobile apps in the road traffic accident domain. Future development of mobile apps in this domain should take into account the existing gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Prolonged sitting in desk-based office workers is found to be associated with increased cardiometabolic risk and poor cognitive performance. Technology-based physical activity (PA) interventions using smartphone applications (SmPh app) to promote PA levels might be effective in reducing cardiometabolic risk among sedentary population but the evidence remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: The objective is to investigate the effects of a technology-based PA intervention compared to PA education with a worksite manual or no intervention on PA levels, cardiometabolic risk, cognitive performance, and work productivity among desk-based employees. METHOD: A three-arm clustered randomized trial will be conducted. The study will be conducted among various administrative offices of a multifaceted university in India. Desk-based employees aged between 30 and 50 years (n = 159; 53 in each arm) will be recruited. Employees from various constituent institutions (clusters) of the university will be randomized into one of the three following groups - SMART: SmPh app-driven break reminders (visual exercise prompts) plus pedometer-based step intervention, TRADE: worksite PA education with a manual plus American College of Sports Medicine guided PA prescription, or CONTROL: usual work group. At baseline and after the 1st, 3rd and 6th month of the trial period, accelerometer-measured sitting time and PA levels, cardiometabolic risk (fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, insulin, blood pressure, heart rate variability, functional capacity, and subcutaneous fat), cognitive performance (executive function), sickness absenteeism and work limitations will be assessed by a blinded assessor. Therapist delivering interventions will not be blinded. CONCLUSION: This trial will determine whether a combined SmPh-app and pedometer-based intervention is more effective than education or no intervention in altering PA levels, cardiometabolic risk and cognitive performance among desk-based employees in India. This study has the potential to foster institutional recommendations for using SmPh-based technology and pedometers to promote PA and reduce sedentary behavior at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) constitutes main cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Specifically, it constitutes the fourth cause of death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COPD is estimated to be the third cause of death and the seventh cause of morbidity worldwide by 2030. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of m-Health apps in self-management of COPD. Method: In this study English articles from literature were included from June 2014 to June 2019, which were digitally available in PubMed and google scholar. For the research, included keywords were combinations of the keywords "mobile health", "m-Health", "m-Health apps", "COPD", "self-management", "self-management of COPD", "exacerbation". Results: COPD is a lung disease that is characterized by a persistent reduction of airflow. It develops slowly and usually becomes apparent after 40 or 50 years of age. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, chronic cough and sputum (mucous) production. Patients with COPD are susceptible to the risk of frequent episodes of exacerbations. Consequently, they have high risks of hospital readmission. Specifically, one in eight emergency admissions relating to COPD and one in three patients with COPD being readmitted within 28-30 days of a hospital admission for an exacerbation. Effective self-management of COPD through clinical and social support, is essential to improve outcomes such as the patient's quality of life and to reduce hospital admissions. In order to assess the increasing burden on both the individual and the health system, a literature review was conducted for the past five years of relevant researchers. The results of the review showed significant change in the awareness level, behavioral intention and compliance in medicine use. Conclusion: The m-Health apps can empower the patients of COPD, improve their quality of life and increase their intentions in health behavioral tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early detection of gait impairments in older adults allows the early uncovering of fall risk and/or cognitive deficits, resulting in timely interventions. Dual-task paradigms have been shown to be more sensitive than single-task conditions for the detection of subtle yet relevant gait impairments.Research Question: Can a system - encompassing a pair of instrumented insoles and a customized mobile app - transparently and accurately study ecological walking activities in single- and dual-task conditions, with the aim of detecting early and subtle age-related alterations of gait?Methods: The system was tested on 19 older adults during outdoor walking (two identical single-task trials and two motor-cognitive dual-task trials with the user engaged in a simple phone call and in a cognitive-demanding phone call). A single-task cognitive trial was included. Relative reliability of the gait parameters provided by the insoles during single-task walking was investigated (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient). The effect of dual tasking on both motor (Friedman test) and cognitive (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) domains was studied. To study usability, the system was tested on 5 older adults in real-life environment over 3 months.Results: Most of the parameters showed excellent reliability. Independently from the cognitive demand, walking while talking resulted in increased gait cycle and step time, with a prolonged stance phase due to an augmented double-support. Variability of gait cycle and stance phase increased only during the most demanding dual-task. Dual tasking resulted in a reduced cognitive score. Usability feedback were excellent, with users reporting to understand the usefulness of the devised system and to feel at ease when using the system and the insoles.Significance: This work paves the way toward fruitful applications of the devised system to achieve accurate and ecological monitoring of daily-life walking activities, with the final aim of detecting early and subtle alterations of gait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: It has been 4 months since the discovery of COVID-19, and there have been many measures introduced to curb movements of individuals to stem the spread. There has been an increase in the utilization of web-based technologies for counseling, and for supervision and training, and this has been carefully described in China. Several telehealth initiatives have been highlighted for Australian residents. Smartphone applications have previously been shown to be helpful in times of a crisis. Whilst there have been some examples of how web-based technologies have been used to support individuals who are concerned about or living with COVID-19, we know of no studies or review that have specifically looked at how M-Health technologies have been utilized for COVID-19. Objectives: There might be existing commercially available applications on the commercial stores, or in the published literature. There remains a lack of understanding of the resources that are available, the functionality of these applications, and the evidence base of these applications. Given this, the objective of this content analytical review is in identifying the commercial applications that are available currently for COVID-19, and in exploring their functionalities. Methods: A mobile application search application was used. The search terminologies used were "COVID" and "COVID-19." Keyword search was performed based on the titles of the commercial applications. The search through the database was conducted from the 27th March through to the 18th of April 2020 by two independent authors. Results: A total of 103 applications were identified from the Apple iTunes and Google Play store, respectively; 32 were available on both Apple and Google Play stores. The majority appeared on the commercial stores between March and April 2020, more than 2 months after the first discovery of COVID-19. Some of the common functionalities include the provision of news and information, contact tracking, and self-assessment or diagnosis. Conclusions: This is the first review that has characterized the smartphone applications 4 months after the first discovery of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV infection is an increasingly complex chronic disease associated with numerous medical, psychological, and social problems. The life expectancy of affected patients has increased considerably. Medical apps could also play a role in prevention and management of comorbid conditions in the HIV-infected population. Objectives: To determine the usefulness of an app designed specifically for HIV-infected patients aged 60 years or older and to assess changes in patient satisfaction, adherence to treatment, and quality of health care. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted, including 100 patients (50 per group): (1) an experimental group comprising patients using the app + routine medical care (app group) and (2) with routine medical care (control group). The usability of the app and patient satisfaction were evaluated in the app group at week 48. Quality of life, adherence to treatment, and clinical parameters were compared between both groups at 48 weeks, as well as the number of face-to-face visits. Results: We found that 52.2% and 73.8% of patients in the app group used the app at weeks 24 and 48, respectively. Patients used the app for a mean of 23.7 (±2.84) days over the 48 weeks. The most visited screens were health counseling and medical records (24.8% and 22.2%, respectively). At week 48, 85.2% of patients thought that the app was useful and 91.4% would recommend the app to friends or relatives. The app was well valued by participants (4.79 [±0.21] of 5.00) and 64.6% thought that the app improved their health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Users' experiences in mental health assessment are multifaceted, including their emotional experiences. Yet, studies of mobile apps for psychiatric assessment have centered on diagnostic accuracy and perceived usability, with little consideration of the impact of user emotional experiences. In this study, we focused on users' perceived usability and emotions and compared the user experience of a paper-and-pencil and an app-based collection of mental health screening questionnaires: EarlyDetect. The System Usability Scale (SUS) and modality-directed emotion questionnaires were administered using paper-and-pencil or iPad. Modality was assigned pseudo-randomly on patients' first visit at a referral-based mental health clinic. We found that patients assigned to the iPad app reported a significantly higher SUS score than patients assigned to paper-and-pencil, qualified by a modality-by-gender interaction where modality effects were significant for men but not for women. Moreover, enjoyment was positively linked to perceived usability, whereas boredom, frustration, and anxiety were negatively linked to usability. Our findings illustrate the added value of studying user experience applied to psychiatric assessments, where both emotions and gender-specific user experience should be taken into consideration. We further discuss the implications for psychiatric assessments via app versus traditional data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]