JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

As Chinese society ages and concern for health and quality of life grows, the demand for care services is increasing. The widespread use of Internet technology has greatly improved the convenience and efficiency of online services. As a result, the Chinese government has been implementing “Internet + Nursing Service” since 2019, with mobile Apps being the primary way for users to access these services. The quality of these Apps is closely related to user experience and the smooth use of services.

Objective:

This study aims to evaluate the functionality, services, and quality of these Apps, identify weaknesses, and provide suggestions for improving service programs and the research, development, improvement, and maintenance of similar Apps.

Methods:

In December 2022, two researchers searched for “Internet+Nursing Service” Apps using search criteria on the Kuchuan mobile App monitoring platform. After identifying the Apps to be included based on ranking criteria, they collected information such as developer, size, version number, number of downloads, user ratings, number and name of services. Five trained researchers independently evaluated the quality of the Apps using the uMARS-C, with the total uMARS-C score based on the average score of the five ratings.

Results:

A total of 17 “Internet+Nursing Service” Apps were included. Of these, 12 (71%) had been downloaded more than 10,000 times; 10 (59%) had user ratings of 4 or higher; the median App size was 62.67MB (R=22.71-99.8, IQR46.73); 16 (94.1%) Apps provided surgical wound dressing exchange services; 4 (23.5%) covered first-tier cities; only 1 (5.9%) belonged to fourth-tier cities. The median total uMARS-C score was 3.88 (R=1.92~4.92, IQR0.48), which did not correlate with App store user ratings (r=0.003, P=0.992). The quality of most Apps (>60%) was average. Most Apps (>70%) were rated good or above (≥4 points) in terms of information quality, layout, graphics, performance and ease of use; however, the vast majority of Apps (>80%) were rated fair or even poor (<4 points) in terms of credibility and demand.

Conclusions:

“Internet+Nursing Service” Apps need to broaden their service coverage, increase service variety and further optimize their service structure. The overall quality of these Apps is generally poor. App developers should collaborate with medical professionals and communicate with target users before launching their products to ensure accurate content, complete functionality and good operation that meets user needs.