JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The broad availability of smartphones as well as the amount of health applications (health apps) in app stores have risen in recent years. Health apps have benefits for individuals to monitor their health as well as for the research to collect data in population-based, clinical and observational studies. Although the amount of health apps on the global app market is huge and its potential seems to be high, smartphone app-based questionnaires for collecting patient related data did not play an important role so far.

Objective:

This study aims to provide an overview about studies which have collected patient data using an app-based approach, with a particular focus on longitudinal studies. This literature review describes the current evidence in how far smartphones are used for collecting (patient) data for research purposes and whether this approach can be used for the data collection among mobile populations such as migrants or refugees in particular.

Methods:

A scoping review of studies using data collection via apps was conducted. PubMed was used to identify the studies describing the utilization of smartphone app questionnaires for collecting data over time. Overall, 26 articles were included in the summary.

Results:

There are only few studies integrating smartphone apps in data collection approaches. Studies dealing with the collection of health related data via smartphone apps were mainly developed in the field of psychosomatic, neurodegenerative, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as malign neoplasm. The study duration for data collection varies from three to nine months and the participants’ mean age ranges from 29 to 67 years. Potentials can be seen in real-time information transfer, fast data synchronization from entry to provision (which saves time and increase effectivity) and the possibility of tracking responses longitudinally. Furthermore, smartphone-based data collection techniques might prevent biases like reminder bias or mistakes happening with manually data transfers. In chronic diseases, real-time communication with the physician and early detection of symptoms enable rapid modifications in management of the disease.

Conclusions:

The results indicate that by using mobile technologies challenges linked with the data collection in epidemiological research can be overcome. However, feasibility studies need to be conducted in the near future to test the applicability and acceptance of these mobile applications for epidemiological research in various subpopulations.