JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobile health applications (mHealth apps) are increasingly being used to capture patient health data, provide information, and guide self-management, with reported improvements in healthcare service delivery and outcomes. However, the impact of integrating mHealth app data into electronic medical record (EMR) systems remains underexplored.

Objective:

To identify what is known about the impact of integrating mHealth app data into EMR systems on healthcare delivery and patient outcomes, and to develop principles to assist effective implementation.

Methods:

A scoping review was conducted to identify original studies that investigated the integration of patient-facing mHealth app data into EMR systems and the impact on healthcare outcomes. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ProQuest, and PsychINFO databases were searched for articles published between January 2014 and July 2024. Two authors independently screened and extracted data on study characteristics, mHealth app features, details of integration with EMR systems, and effects on healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

Results:

Nineteen studies with 113,135 participants were included. Among these, six were randomised clinical trial studies, eight were conducted in the United States, 12 occurred in hospital settings, 15 involved adult participants, and six targeted diabetes management. Main features of the apps and EMR systems can be categorised into tracking/recording health data (n=19), communication with the healthcare team (n=10), reminders/alerts (n=9), synchronisation with other apps or devices (n=7), app data summarised and presented on EMR interface (n=6), and educational information (n=4). Most studies reported benefits of integrating the app and EMR, such as enhanced patient education and self-management (n=5), real-time data recorded and shared with clinicians (n=4), support for clinical decision-making (n=3), improved communication between patients and clinicians (n=7), and improved patient outcomes (n=13). Challenges identified included high drop-off rates in app usage (n=3), limited accessibility due to device restrictions (n=3), incompatibility between mHealth apps and EMR systems (n=3), increased clinical workload in response to additional information (n=3), data accuracy issues due to network connectivity (n=1), and data security concerns (n=1).

Conclusions:

Evidence suggests that the effective integration of mHealth app data into EMR systems can enhance both clinicians' healthcare delivery and patients' health outcomes. It is notable that there was limited literature examining the impact on long-term outcomes, such as mortality, readmissions and costs. Additionally, this review provides the first comprehensive synthesis of the literature to derive principles for guiding the effective integration of mHealth apps with EMR systems.