Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: May 1, 2020
Date Accepted: Jun 30, 2020
Date Submitted to PubMed: Jul 1, 2020
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Content Analysis and Review of Mobile Health Applications on COVID-19
ABSTRACT
It could be difficult for health care professional to recommend a suitable app for COVID-19 education and self-monitoring purposes. In this study, we have systematically evaluated the contents and features of COVID-19 mobile health applications (apps) available in android-based Play Store and iOS-based App Store. The inclusion criteria were apps that are related to COVID-19 with no restriction in language type. The basic features assessment criteria used for comparison were the requirement for free subscription, Internet connection, education/advisory content, size of app, ability to export data and automated data entry. The functionality of the apps was assessed according to: (1) knowledge (information on COVID-19), (2) tracing/mapping of COVID-19 cases, (3) home monitoring surveillance, (4) online consultation with a health authority, and (5) official apps run by health authorities. Of 223 COVID-19 related mobile apps, only 56 (35%) found in App Store and 54 (85.7%) in Play Store matched the inclusion criteria. In the basic features assessment, most App Store (33.3%) and Play Store (35.7%) apps scored 4 out of 7 points. Meanwhile, the outcome of the functionality assessment for most App Store apps (43.3%) was a score of 3, compared to android-based apps (35.7%), which scored 2 (out of maximum point 5). Most iOS-based apps incorporate infographic mapping of COVID-19 cases while most android-based apps incorporate home-monitoring surveillance features, instead of providing focused educational content on COVID-19. From this study, it is anticipated that existing or future designs of COVID-19 mobile apps can further be improved.
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