Mobile Health (mHealth) apps focused on menopause: Are they any good?

Reproductive Medicine, 2020

Smartphones have become the most important commodity for today’s digitalized society. Besides direct interpersonal communication, their most used features are third-party applications (apps). Apps for monitoring health parameters (health apps) are extremely popular, and their users are part of the Quantified Self movement. Little knowledge is available on how health apps are perceived by a female target audience, the Quantified Woman. We conducted a study among Austrian females of reproductive age (n = 150) to analyze prevalence, perceived benefits, and readiness for health app use. In the cross-sectional online German survey, nearly all participants used these apps (98.0%), predominantly for monitoring physical activity and female health (both 31.3%). For the latter, participants used a large variety of different apps for monitoring contraception and menstruation. Perceived benefits and readiness of health app use were only of medium range. Our study assessed aspects of health app ...

SAGE Open Medicine

Objectives: This study aims to test a mobile health application (mHealth app) developed to meet the needs of women newly diagnosed with asymptomatic osteoporosis. We investigate how the women experience using an mHealth app upon diagnosis of osteoporosis and whether the app can help them to be prepared for treatment decision-making and support them in osteoporosis self-management. We also tested the usability of the app, to find out whether any adjustments were necessary prior to implementation. Methods: A test was conducted at a Danish university hospital with 18 women aged 50–65, newly diagnosed with asymptomatic osteoporosis. On presenting for a bone density scan at the hospital, they were provided with the app, which was named ‘My Osteoporosis Journey’. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method guided the data analysis in four steps. Findings: In total, 17 women succeeded in downloading the app, thereby accessing informa...

-Mobile device is transforming our live in every way, both in the digital and the physical world. In today's digital society, Mobile Phones and iPads are driving changes in health care. Diseases and Health complicationscould beminimized by leveraging on mobile apps technology. Likewise our society as consumers of health care, mobile devices could be useful to our life in the way we communicate and interact. As Health care is 24/7 in our life, mobile device is also 24/7 in our life. Prevention is better than cure and when leveraging on mobile devices for health care, many diseases could be managed and put under control. The proliferations of apps for health and wellness are strong temptations to use and rely on health care apps. A research to identify the viability of mobile devices for health care and wellness is not only desirable but significant in this era of Information and Communication Technology. This Research used content Analysis Method to appraise Mobile Apps on Health and Wellness. The APPs were downloaded from Google store, examined and rated their effectiveness on their claims for heart and diabetics measurement. The research is of significant to Health care institutions, Academic Institutions, Policy makers, individuals and the general Public. One of the findings of the study was the failure of the tested apps to prove the claims they purported. One of the recommendations is for stake holders on health care to ensure strict monitoring of software apps with a view to provide standard and control.

2021

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the functionality and quality of breast cancer-related apps which can be accessed from Turkey. Methods: The research covers 707 mobile applications, which were searched using the keywords "cancer", "oncology" and "breast cancer" in Google and App store stores between January and June 2019. The quality of apps was assessed with the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Results: Mobile applications focus on communication, education and treatment order / plan categories. The average MARS quality score for applications in all of the two stores was determined as 3.42. According to the average score of the scale sub-dimensions; It was seen that they were ranked as functionality, aesthetics, information quality and participation. MARS scale sub-groups were listed as functionality, aesthetics, knowledge quality, and participation. Conclusion: e-Health is a subject that has just started to be used actively in healt...

Journal of Cancer Survivorship

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the functionality and quality of breast cancer-related apps which can be accessed from Turkey. Methods: The research covers 707 mobile applications, which were searched using the keywords "cancer", "oncology" and "breast cancer" in Google and App store stores between January and June 2019. The quality of apps was assessed with the user version of the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS). Results: Mobile applications focus on communication, education and treatment order / plan categories. The average MARS quality score for applications in all of the two stores was determined as 3.42. According to the average score of the scale sub-dimensions; It was seen that they were ranked as functionality, aesthetics, information quality and participation. MARS scale subgroups were listed as functionality, aesthetics, knowledge quality, and participation. Conclusion: e-Health is a subject that has just started to be used actively in health. Although basic information about breast cancer was used, information on prevention, early diagnosis and precautions was relatively limited and was not personalized. Support from healthcare professionals and further efforts should be made to develop evidence-based breast cancer knowledge and innovative technology and applications regarding cancer.

BMC Women's Health

Background Educational interventions for self-care are a necessary solution to help postmenopausal women properly deal with menopausal problems. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of self-care training using an application on the quality of marital relations and the severity of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women in Iran. Methods In this study, 60 postmenopausal women selected using the convenience sampling method were divided into two groups, intervention and control, using simple random allocation (lottery). The intervention group used the menopause self-care application for eight weeks in addition to routine care, but the control group only received the routine care. The Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) and the Perceived Relationship Quality Components (PRQC) questionnaire were completed in two stages, before and immediately after eight weeks, in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16), descriptive (mean and standard deviation), and inf...

Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2019

Background: In last years, a spread of smart phone applications (apps) for the self-monitoring of individual health has been recorded, especially among young people. A broad number of healthcare apps is designed for women, encouraging the self-responsibility in the surveillance of their menstrual cycle. Aim of the present study was to provide a review and features analysis of the apps for the selfmonitoring of the menstrual cycle available on the major official mobile-phone application platforms. Materials and Methods: A systematic search in Google Play Store and iTunes was performed from January to December 2017. The most popular apps for the monitoring of the menstrual cycle were downloaded and their functions and features were evaluated and compared. Results: The authors found a considerable difference between applications in the number of tracking functions. While some apps are more sophisticated and combine almost all possible functions for tracking the menstrual cycle (Clue, Life, and Period Tracker Lite), some others are simpler, and their purpose is merely to record menstrual days, without any precise calculation of the fertile days (Cycles). With iPeriod, the tracking of menstrual cycle and the received drugs can be recorded. Conclusions: All the studied apps are excellent in providing awareness of the menstrual cycle. Some of them record valuable information for the self-monitoring of the menstrual cycle. Which app to be used mainly depends on the data wanted to be gathered from the monitoring. Although most of the devices and apps are excellent in providing direct information to the user, some improvements are still possible. A future challenge will be how data would be gathered through smart phone apps and how could be used in clinical practice.

Health Informatics Journal, 2014

Mobile health (m-health) apps can bring health prevention and promotion to the general population. The main purpose of this article is to analyze different m-health apps for a broad spectrum of consumers by means of three different experiences. This goal was defined following the strategic documents generated by the main prospective observatories of Information and Communications Technology for health. After a general exploration of the app markets, we analyze the entries of three specific themes focused in this article: type 2 diabetes, obesity, and breast-feeding. The user experiences reported in this study mostly cover the segments of (1) chronically monitored consumers through a Web mobile app for predicting type 2 diabetes (Diab_Alert app), (2) information seekers through a mobile app for maternity (Lactation app) and partially (3) the motivated healthy consumers through a mobile app for a dietetic monitoring and assessment (SapoFit app). These apps were developed by the authors of this work.

Journal of Woman ’s Reproductive Health ISSN NO: 2381 - 862X, 2017

Objective: Because of the increased demand for the availability of independent information regarding the efficacy, the lack of efficacy and the possible harm of medical interventions, the study aims to evaluate the information package „Menopause" , published by the German Institute for Quality in Healthcare (IQWiG). Methods: Qualitative, guideline based interviews, carried out in n=41 women (40 63 years). The analysis of transcripts was carried out according to Mayring. Results: Information perception of women who could use the material could be summarized into the following: (1) Information were perceived as independent and deemed trustworthy. (2) Scientific study results were unknown but welcomed. (3) Decision aids are useful but need further communicative support. (4) Women requested suggestions for empowerment and self -help. (5) Some women are better accessible through experiences. (6) Women who did not take on any information presented in the material. Conclusions: Through evidence based health information (EBHI) and decision aids interviewed women can be enabled to make informed decisions concerning their health care. Health information should include the relevant context factors. However, not all women could be reached. Practice implications: Not only the implementation of independent EBHI into the structure of healthcare but also communicative services including biographical aspects and self help strategies are needed.

Journal of Media Critiques, 2014

With the effect of recent rapid developments in communication technologies, every day, and various new experiences are introduced into daily life practices. The spread of smart devices and the increase in their accessibility causes a reorganization of the information concerning the daily life via smart phones, tablets, all peripheral devices which can communicate with them, and applications which are installed in these devices. There is also a rapid development in the field of health which has an important position among the fastest growing fields in digital life; and the information and possibilities which are provided by mobile health applications to people who are not health care professionals are also developing rapidly. In this study, health applications which are developed for IOS operating system and presented to the consumers through Apple App-Store on Apple I-Phone and I-Pad mobile devices are examined in order to reveal what mobile health applications as new practices of daily life offer in terms of health and how they direct the individuals towards healthy behavior; and some of the most frequently used free applications are included as sample applications. Mobile health applications offer many conveniences to the patients or the caretakers of patients such as reminding about medicines or treatments, and administering and monitoring simple treatments.