Currently submitted to: JMIR Human Factors
Date Submitted: Dec 18, 2025
Open Peer Review Period: Jan 8, 2026 - Mar 5, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited.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.
Are Drug Information Mobile Health Apps Meeting the Clinical Information Needs of Doctors in Cameroon?: An Assessment of App Content Completeness and Usability
ABSTRACT
Background:
Drug information apps are widely used clinical decision support tools that improve prescribing accuracy, yet in low- and middle-income countries such as Cameroon they remain unregulated, raising safety concerns. Despite high smartphone penetration among doctors, no studies have assessed whether available apps meet local needs or regulatory standards.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate whether drug information apps available in Cameroon met doctors’ clinical information needs by assessing content completeness and usability, using criteria that combine national regulatory standards with breadth of clinically relevant information.
Methods:
We systematically evaluated drug information apps from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Cameroon (March–June 2025). Of 193 eligible apps, 100 were selected through stratified sampling. A framework of 33 drug characteristics grouped into six macro-types was developed and applied based on the Ministry of Public Health standards and clinical needs. Completeness was measured through breadth coverage and Ministry of Public Health compliance; usability was assessed by two independent clinical assessors using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).
Results:
Nineteen percent of the apps were developed in Africa, with only one from Cameroon. Just three offered bilingual content, while 39% required paid subscription averaging USD $37 annually. Most apps had low completeness with major gaps in safety (contraindications, drug interactions), and quality assurance information (references and author credentials). Usability was limited, with only 15% rated as good quality.
Conclusions:
Since most drug information apps did not meet Ministry of Public Health standards or core clinical decision-making requirements, there is an urgent need for regulatory oversight and the development of safer, locally adapted prescribing tools. The framework introduced in this study offers a scalable, evidence-based approach that can be adopted across low- and middle-income countries to guide regulation, strengthen quality assurance, and establish globally relevant benchmarks for evaluating drug information apps.
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