Lucas Ogura Dantas1, Cristiano Carvalho1, Beatriz Laryssa de Jesus Santos1, Cristine Homsi Jorge Ferreira2, Kari Bø3, Patricia Driusso4. 1. Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil. 2. Department of Health Sciences, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. 3. Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sports Medicine, Oslo, Norway; Akershus University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lørenskog, Norway. 4. Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil. Electronic address: pdriusso@ufscar.br.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a serious condition for which often times insufficient non-surgical treatment options are provided or sought. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) offer potential to assist with the self-management of UI. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of available mHealth apps for UI in Brazil. METHODS: A search for UI mHealth apps from the Google Play Store and AppStore in Brazil was performed by two independent reviewers on June 4 2020, and the quality of eligible mHealth apps was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). RESULTS: Of the 1111 mHealth apps found, 12 were eligible for inclusion. Four offered exclusively exercise programs, six offered exercise and educational content, and two offered tools to track patient-reported symptoms. The included apps scored poorly on the MARS quality scale, with a mean ± standard deviation score of 2.7 ± 0.6 on a 0-5 scale. Most apps scored poorly based on credibility, user interface and experience, and engagement. CONCLUSION: Although there is growing interest in the development of mHealth technologies to support patients with UI, currently available tools in Brazil are of poor quality and limited functionality. Effective collaboration between industry and research is needed to develop new user-centered mHealth apps that can empower patients with UI.
BACKGROUND:Urinary incontinence (UI) is a serious condition for which often times insufficient non-surgical treatment options are provided or sought. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) offer potential to assist with the self-management of UI. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review of available mHealth apps for UI in Brazil. METHODS: A search for UI mHealth apps from the Google Play Store and AppStore in Brazil was performed by two independent reviewers on June 4 2020, and the quality of eligible mHealth apps was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). RESULTS: Of the 1111 mHealth apps found, 12 were eligible for inclusion. Four offered exclusively exercise programs, six offered exercise and educational content, and two offered tools to track patient-reported symptoms. The included apps scored poorly on the MARS quality scale, with a mean ± standard deviation score of 2.7 ± 0.6 on a 0-5 scale. Most apps scored poorly based on credibility, user interface and experience, and engagement. CONCLUSION: Although there is growing interest in the development of mHealth technologies to support patients with UI, currently available tools in Brazil are of poor quality and limited functionality. Effective collaboration between industry and research is needed to develop new user-centered mHealth apps that can empower patients with UI.
Authors: Anna Rutkowska; Silvia Salvalaggio; Sebastian Rutkowski; Andrea Turolla Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-18 Impact factor: 4.614