Apple introduces medical device labels for health apps in the App Store, enhancing transparency and user safety. #Apple #HealthApps #MedicalDeviceLabels #AppStoreUpdate Link: thedailytechfeed.com/apple-adds-m...

Features of mHealth Apps for Tobacco Cessation Important to Black Adults: Discrete Choice Experiment Background: Although mobile health (mHealth) apps for tobacco cessation augment traditional cessation methods and have contributed to increases in cessation rates, Black adults are underrepresented in mHealth app studies for tobacco cessation. As a result, their mHealth app preferences are not well-known. Objective: Our goal was to identify features of mHealth apps for cessation that are important to Black adults who use tobacco products. Methods: We developed an online discrete choice experiment with 12 pairs of hypothetical mHealth apps for tobacco cessation. Inclusion criteria included being 21 years or older, current use of any tobacco product, and identifying as Black or African American. Participants had to be interested in tobacco cessation and have a history of mHealth app use or be willing to use one in the future. From each pair of hypothetical apps within the survey, participants had to choose the app they preferred. Each hypothetical app was made up of 7 features developed from existing mHealth literature and prior qualitative work: graphics, marketing, strategies for quitting, connection with others, personalization, benefits of quitting, and health information. Each feature had up to 4‐5 levels (ie, variations of that attribute), and each hypothetical mHealth app was comprised of a random assortment of levels of features. Hierarchical Bayes estimation was used to determine the part-worth utility for each level within each feature for each participant, which was then used to calculate the importance score. Average importance scores across respondents were used to determine overall importance scores for each feature. Results: We had 901 adult participants. The mean age was 41 (SD 14.02) years, and about a third of participants (377/901, 42%) were female. Two-thirds of participants (549/901, 61%) had used an mHealth app in the past, and the great majority (786/901, 87%) indicated a willingness to use an app for health purposes in the future. The features had the following importance: graphics (16%), marketing (15%), strategies for quitting (15%), connection with others (14%), personalization (13%), benefits of quitting (13%), and health information (13%). Within features, strategies for quitting had the highest and third-highest levels of “making a step-by-step quit plan” and “recommendations to manage relapse or withdrawal,” respectively. Marketing had the second-highest level of “Historically Black Colleges and Universities–endorsed app.” Graphics had the fourth-highest level of “short video testimonials from people who successfully quit,” while connection with others had the fifth-highest level of “quit buddy program for support and accountability.” Conclusions: This study identified features of mHealth apps important to Black adult tobacco users. To enhance the appeal of mHealth apps to such adults, prioritizing inclusion of highly preferred levels in apps may lead to higher use and improved cessation.

JMIR Formative Res: Features of mHealth Apps for Tobacco Cessation Important to Black Adults: Discrete Choice Experiment #mHealth #TobaccoCessation #HealthApps #PublicHealth #BlackHealth

Are Americans experiencing a health app burnout? A survey of 2,000 insured adults aged 18-65 found that the average person uses six different health-related apps on a regular basis — with one in five having upward of 10 (22%).

Nearly half of Americans are feeling overwhelmed by the number of digital health tools they have.

#health #apps #tech #healthapps #studies #research #surveys

#LLM #RAG #DigitalBehaviourChange #HealthApps #IoTHealth #MedTech #DigitalSurveillance #MisinformationInHealth #Innovation #AI #IoT #UCL #Barcelona

Headache Evaluation & Treatment – Headache Evalution and Treatment App for Users and Healthcare Providers

HeadAche™ Eval & Treat, designed by neurologists, helps you evaluate headache types, log patterns, view reports, and even use soothing sound therapy for relief.

Learn more: www.HeadAche.life

#Headache #Migraine #PainRelief #DigitalHealth #HealthApps #Short

youtube.com/shorts/tHMc0...

New guidance on using mental health apps and technologies published New advice on using apps and digital tools to support mental health is being published by the MHRA today (27 January).

New guidance on using mental health apps and technologies published

buff.ly/l2GybDN

#mentalhealth #apps #healthtech #technology #healthapps #NHS #pharmacy

General Practitioners’ Perspectives on #Digital #Health #Applications for Mental Disorders and Their Prescribing Behavior: Mixed Methods Study Background: The high number of mental disorders poses challenges for healthcare systems. In 2020, #Digital #Health #Applications (DHA) were introduced in Germany as a new form of healthcare financed by the statutory #Health insurance. They aim to detect, monitor, treat, or alleviate disease, injury, or disability. DHA for mental disorders (DHA-MD) intend to improve outpatient care for patients with mental disorders. However, evidence on general practitioners (GP) perspectives on DHA-MD and their prescribing behavior is limited. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze GPs’ perspectives on DHA-MD and their prescribing behavior in the care of patients with mental disorders. Methods: A mixed methods study was conducted (January - October 2024), including a Germany-wide online survey and qualitative interviews with GPs and medical assistants (MA). Sampling was conducted in collaboration with German research practice networks, which distributed the study invitation to their affiliated GPs. The questionnaire as well as the interview guides for GPs and MAs were developed by the study team according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Descriptive analyses of prescribing behavior and perceived need (measured on an 11-point scale) for DHA-MD were conducted, followed by multivariate regression analyses to identify predictors of prescribing behavior and perceived need for DHA-MD. The interviews with GPs and MAs were analyzed using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Results: A sample of 149 GPs participated, 12 GPs and 5 MA were interviewed. The median prescription frequency of DHA-MD per quarter was 1 whereas the median estimated need was 3. Working in a half digitized/half paper-based practice (OR = 5.133, 95% CI [1.695 – 15.542]) as well as working in a completely digitized practice (OR = 3.006, 95% CI [1.296 - 6.969]) positively predicted the prescribing behavior. The duration of GPs’ medical practice (b = -.057, P = .013) negatively predicted the perceived need, while working in a group practice (b = .980, P = .02) positively predicted the perceived need for DHA-MD. In the interviews, GPs and MAs reported they valued DHA-MD as a temporary or supplementary option for bridging waiting times for psychotherapy and considered their effectiveness to be highly dependent on indication and patient adherence. Reported barriers of GPs according to DHA-MD included lacking knowledge about DHA-MD, missing effectiveness studies, and difficulties integrating them into existing care processes. Conclusions: GPs are reluctant to prescribe DHA-MD, as the need is considered to be low and their use is primarily seen as a temporary or supplementary treatment option rather than a standalone intervention. There are significant reasons for rejection and barriers that hinder prescription in primary care. Addressing these barriers and involving GPs as well as patients in future research is essential for the development of DHA-MD.

JMIR Mental Health: General Practitioners’ Perspectives on #Digital #Health #Applications for Mental Disorders and Their Prescribing Behavior: Mixed Methods Study #MentalHealth #DigitalHealth #Healthcare #MentalDisorders #HealthApps

What Startups Should Know Before Building IoT Health Apps | IoT For All Building a healthcare IoT app means more than syncing devices. Founders must plan for compliance, data security, and future growth.

What Startups Should Know Before Building IoT Health Apps - buff.ly/pnx8KsS #iot #healthapps #startups #buildingiot

Design and Evaluation of Screening and Self-Care (Mobile) Application for Oral and Dental Problems and Emergencies Can apps aid dental care? Study finds Dandanyar app boosts user satisfaction for dental self-care. #DentalHealth #HealthApps

Can apps aid dental care? Study finds Dandanyar app boosts user satisfaction for dental self-care. #DentalHealth #HealthApps
www.rimpacts.com/rd/p?c=10063... 📄DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jo...

Design and Evaluation of Screening and Self-Care (Mobile) Application for Oral and Dental Problems and Emergencies Can apps aid dental care? Study finds Dandanyar app boosts user satisfaction for dental self-care. #DentalHealth #HealthApps

Can apps aid dental care? Study finds Dandanyar app boosts user satisfaction for dental self-care. #DentalHealth #HealthApps
www.rimpacts.com/rd/p?c=10063... 📄DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jo...

5/17 The public has "considerable enthusiasm" for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) #AI tools.

This category includes everything from #chatbots offering mental health support to #smartphone #apps that self-diagnose skin conditions and smartwatch algorithms that detect arrhythmias.

#DTC #HealthApps

Assessing the User Experience of the EU Mobile App for #Cancer Prevention: Mixed Methods Study Background: Background: In 2022, nearly 20 million new #Cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths occurred globally. Europe, comprising under 10% of the world’s population, accounted for over 22% of cases and 20% of deaths, reflecting an aging population, lifestyle risk factors, and extensive screening. With 40% of #Cancers preventable through modifiable risk factor interventions, effective prevention is essential. The European Code Against #Cancer provides evidence-based guidelines that drive health initiatives across Europe. Supported by Europe’s Beating #Cancer Plan and the EU4Health programme, the EU Mobile App for #Cancer Prevention was developed to disseminate these recommendations. However, its effectiveness depends on #usability across populations with varying digital and health literacy; this study evaluates the app’s #usability among diverse European populations. Objective: Objective: This study aimed to identify enablers, barriers, and user requirements for the use and maintenance of the English version of the EU Mobile App for #Cancer Prevention, focusing on how #usability varied across individuals with different levels of digital health literacy and diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. Additionally, user feedback on mock wireframes—visual representations of the app’s interface and functionality—was gathered to evaluate #usability and ease of use, providing insights for tailoring the app design to a broader population. Methods: Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study in seven European countries with 76 adults aged 19–84 recruited via purposive quota sampling. Participants completed quantitative #usability testing using mock wireframes to perform ten predefined tasks simulating core app functionalities (e.g., profile setup, health goal tracking). We recorded task completion time, success rates, self-reported confidence, and perceived difficulty. Digital health literacy was assessed using the eHEALS scale. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions guided by a semi-structured interview guide, and transcripts were analyzed via thematic content analysis. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA to explore group differences. Results: Results: Overall task completion rates ranged from 75% to 98%, indicating general #usability. However, #usability varied by age, education, and digital health literacy: younger participants and those with higher education and literacy levels reported greater confidence and lower difficulty, whereas older adults and lower-literacy users experienced more challenges. Qualitative analysis identified key themes affecting #usability: the need for accessibility (multilingual support, simple language), user-centric design (age-friendly interfaces, intuitive navigation), ethical concerns (data privacy and security), and motivational features (gamification, personalized health goals). Conclusions: Conclusion: The app is generally usable across diverse populations but requires streamlined interfaces and design adaptations to accommodate varying digital health literacy. Ensuring robust data privacy practices is essential for fostering user trust, and integrating motivational elements may enhance sustained engagement. Future work will involve piloting the finalized app to evaluate its real-world uptake and impact on #Cancer prevention behaviors.

JMIR Formative Res: Assessing the User Experience of the EU Mobile App for #Cancer Prevention: Mixed Methods Study #CancerPrevention #UserExperience #HealthApps #EUHealth #DigitalHealth

📲 The health & fitness industry is booming.

I create modern fitness, workout & nutrition app designs with:

✅ Clean & user-friendly UI
✅ Nutrition & calorie tracking dashboards
✅ Workout planners & progress trackers

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#AppDesign #HealthApps #FitnessIndustry

Characteristics Associated With the Use of the Mindfulness Meditation App Headspace in a Large Public Health Deployment: Cross-Sectional Survey Study Background: Mindfulness-based apps can be an effective and accessible resource for mental health support. However, little is known about their use outside of research settings and what user characteristics relate to app use. Objective: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of people who decided to use, not use, or stop using Headspace within the context of a large-scale public deployment, which offered the mindfulness meditation app Headspace as a free mental health resource to community members. Methods: Nearly 100,000 community members received Headspace. All members (N=92,311) received an email inviting them to complete a voluntary and uncompensated survey. In total, 2725 participants completed the survey. The 20-minute survey asked about the use of Headspace, user experience, mental health problems, mental health stigma, and mental health use. Logistic regression models were used to examine relationships between predictors and nonuse, past use, or current use of Headspace. Results: Participants who were still using Headspace at the time of completing the survey (2076/2725, 76.18%) were more likely to experience mental health challenges and distress and make more use of other digital mental health resources (ie, online tools and connecting with people online) than people who were not using Headspace. In addition, current users of Headspace rated the app higher on user experience compared with past users. The most common reasons for abandoning Headspace were that people were already using other strategies to support their mental health (198/570, 34.7%), no longer needed Headspace (73/570, 12.8%), or did not think Headspace was useful (46/570, 8.1%). Conclusions: Results indicate that a person’s mental health challenges, a perceived need for support, and familiarity with digital resources were associated with continued use of Headspace. While the most common reason for not using Headspace was that people were already using other resources, it is important to consider the continuity of mental health support beyond these free programs for those who may not have easy access to other resources. We discuss potential implications of our findings for offering and using apps such as Headspace as a mental health resource, along with factors that influence engagement with this app.

JMIR Formative Res: Characteristics Associated With the Use of the Mindfulness Meditation App Headspace in a Large Public Health Deployment: Cross-Sectional Survey Study #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #Meditation #Headspace #HealthApps

So they want people to download a mental health app to help people quit ALL addictions and distractions 🤔

Won't that just make me addicted to yet ANOTHER app to become *normal*?

Is capitalism completely out of suckers now?

#healthapps
#capitalism
#technofeudalautocrats
#capitalismisdying

Dr Tom Micklewright: “We need a safe sandpit for digital health” Dr Tom Micklewright talks about patient-facing digital health, government investment in the NHS App and the problems of integrating third-party health applications.

Dr Tom Micklewright talks about patient-facing digital health, government investment in the NHS App and the problems of integrating third-party health applications.

#healthcare #digitalhealth #innovation #government #policy #healthapps

healthcaretoday.com/article/dr-t...

Takeaway: While AI has potential to assist, the educational value of manual tracking is significant. Don't blindly trust AI calorie estimates; human awareness & adjustment remain crucial for effective tracking. #HealthApps 6/6

Usage of a Multipurpose mHealth App Among Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial Background: While mobile health applications (mHealth apps) have been made for various diseases, including sickle cell disease (SCD), most focus on a single purpose. SCD is a chronic disease that requires knowledge of the disease, self-management, and adherence to treatment plans. While mHealth apps have been made with single features for SCD, there is limited understanding of using a mHealth app with a more comprehensive set of features that could engage adults with SCD depending on what features they prefer and need to engage and empower them in their disease. Objective: We evaluated the usage of a mHealth app with various features, including pain tracking, quizzes for patient-facing guidelines, pain and asthma action plans, and goal setting. Methods: Adults with SCD were enrolled at two sickle cell centers between 2018-2022 as part of a 6-month #feasibility randomized controlled trial with participants completing surveys at baseline and 6 months. Participants were randomized into receiving either a mHealth app + booklet with patient-facing guidelines or a booklet with the guidelines alone. The mHealth app comprised web pages with patient-facing guideline material and a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) project. The REDCap project included a personal profile, a pain tracker, goal setting, quizzes about the guidelines, and pain or asthma action plans. The REDCap project also included the ability to send daily text messages at a time they chose, which contained a message they could create and a link to their profile. Outcomes included SCD-specific knowledge and acute healthcare utilization (emergency room visits and hospitalizations). We evaluated the usage of these different features and relationships with baseline variables, each other, and study outcomes. Results: Approximately 75% (50 of 67) of the enrolled and randomized participants completed all the study components, and 100% (26 of 26) of the participants who were randomized to the mHealth app arm and completed the study used the mHealth app. Further, 15 (50%) participants used multiple features. Baseline sickle cell knowledge and female gender were associated with more usage of pain diary (p=0.04) and mission (p=0.046) features, respectively. While not significant, mission completion was associated with lower hospitalizations (p=0.063). Conclusions: Adults with SCD engaged differently with a mHealth app with multiple features. As this study was not focused on one part of our app, engagement with features in this app was entirely patient-driven, which may demonstrate the expected real-world use of a mHealth app in this population. A multipurpose app can help engage participants in self-management strategies through different features and potentially improve outcomes. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials NCT03629678; https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=NCT03629678

JMIR Formative Res: Usage of a Multipurpose mHealth App Among Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial #mHealth #SickleCellDisease #ChronicIllness #HealthApps #PatientEngagement

We've wrapped data collection with our postnatal cohort...

A big theme? Info overload 📲

From mood + symptom tracking to baby feeds—it’s a lot.

Now there's Parentland 👶📱 on the scene. Helpful or just more to manage?

Watching this space! #Parentland #Postnatal #HealthApps

Compatibility of the CEN-ISO/TS 82304-2 Health App Assessment Framework With Catalan and Italian Health Authorities’ Needs: Qualitative Interview Study Background: Health authorities of European Union (EU) member states are increasingly working to integrate quality health apps into their health care systems. Given the current lack of unified EU assessment criteria, the European Commission initiated Technical Specification (TS) CEN-ISO 82304-2:2021—Health and wellness apps—Quality and reliability (hereinafter the “TS”) to address the scattered EU landscape of assessment frameworks (AFs) for health apps. The adoption of an AF, such as the TS, falls within member state competence and is considered an uncertainty-reduction process. Evaluations by peers as well as ensuring the compatibility of the TS with the needs of health authorities can reduce uncertainty and mediate harmonization. Objective: This study aims to examine the compatibility of the TS with the needs of Catalan and Italian health authorities. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with key informants from a regional (Catalonia in Spain) and national (Italy) health authority, and a thematic analysis was carried out. Main themes were established deductively, following the aspects defined by the value proposition canvas: (1) health authorities’ needs (“gains,” “pains,” and “jobs”) and (2) the TS “products and services” and their distinct characteristics (“gain creators” and “pain relievers”). Subthemes were generated inductively. The compatibility of the needs with the TS was theoretically determined by the researchers. The results were visualized using the value proposition canvas. Two participant validation steps confirmed that the most relevant aspects of the predefined themes had been captured. Results: Despite the diversity of the 2 health authorities, subthemes were common and categorized into 9 gains, 9 pains, and 11 jobs. Key findings include the health authorities’ perceived value of, and need for, integrating quality health apps and using an AF (gains), along with the related policy, implementation, and operational activities (jobs). The lack of enabling EU legislation and standardization, resulting in a need for the multiple authorities involved to consent, made achieving an AF challenging (pains). Nine products and services related to the TS and 17 distinct characteristics (eg, its multistakeholder evidence base) were found to be compatible with 3 gains (eg, stimulating the prescription and use of apps), 7 pains (eg, legislation and harmonization issues), and 6 jobs (eg, assessing apps). Indirect effects, 3 anticipated future services, and 1 anticipated gain creator and pain reliever increase this compatibility. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the health authorities share common fundamental needs, and that the TS is compatible with these needs. The identified needs and compatibility can potentially reduce peer authorities’ uncertainties in adopting an AF in general and the TS in particular. More research is recommended to confirm and translate our results in other contexts and further fine-tune compatibility to achieve wide adoption of the TS and accelerate the uptake of health apps.

JMIR Formative Res: Compatibility of the CEN-ISO/TS 82304-2 Health App Assessment Framework With Catalan and Italian Health Authorities’ Needs: Qualitative Interview Study #HealthApps #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #EUHealthcare #QualityAssurance

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Want to get paid for being healthy? 🤑 Beyond Evidation, there are tons of apps like HealthyWage & Sweatcoin that reward your steps & wellness goals.

Anyone else using these? #HealthApps #EarnRewards #WellnessJourney

📱 Must-Have Apps for Seniors! 🌟
Stay healthy, independent & connected with these 10 essential apps! 👵📲💙

🔗 Read more: buff.ly/41jD0R5

#SeniorCare #HealthyAging #WellnessApps #MedicationReminder #IndependenceMatters #TechForSeniors #HealthApps #mySeniorCareHub

Flo Health Period and Pregnancy Tracker is the most popular women’s health app globally with almost 400M downloads and 70M monthly users. Are you using it? What do you like best?

#womenshealth #apps #womenstech #WHAM #investment #venturecapital #GenZ #Millennials #healthapps #healthtracking

Testing and Iterative Improvement of the CEN ISO/TS 82304-2 Health App Quality Assessment: Pilot Interrater Reliability Study Background: With the increasing use of health apps and ongoing concerns regarding their safety, effectiveness, and data privacy, numerous health app quality assessment frameworks have emerged. However, assessment initiatives experience difficulties…

JMIR Formative Res: Testing and Iterative Improvement of the CEN ISO/TS 82304-2 Health App Quality Assessment: Pilot Interrater Reliability Study #HealthApps #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #QualityAssessment #DataPrivacy

Purposes of Smartphone Health Care Apps and the Practicality of Their Functions in Disaster Situations: Qualitative Function Assessment Study Background: Medical services during disasters primarily rely on organized public and mutual aid systems, such as Disaster Medical Assistance Team These systems have been facing challenges owing to recent reductions in disaster response budgets. The…

JMIR Formative Res: Purposes of Smartphone Health Care Apps and the Practicality of Their Functions in Disaster Situations: Qualitative Function Assessment Study #SmartphoneHealth #DigitalTherapeutics #HealthApps #DisasterResponse #MentalHealth

Public Understanding and Expectations of Digital Health Evidence Generation: Focus Group Study Background: The rapid proliferation of health apps has not been matched by a comparable growth in scientific evaluations of their effectiveness, particularly for apps available to the public. This gap has prompted ongoing debate about the types of…

JMIR Formative Res: Public Understanding and Expectations of Digital Health Evidence Generation: Focus Group Study #DigitalHealth #HealthApps #EvidenceGeneration #PublicHealth #HealthTech

What to Look for in the Best Health App for Elderly Learn best health app for elderly, from SOS alerts to medication reminders. Learn why it is a top choice for seniors and caregivers.

📱 Find the best health app for seniors! Look for easy navigation, #medicationreminders, #healthtracking, family support, and #SOSalerts.

👉 Read the blog : https://buff.ly/4heK6No
#SeniorHealth #HealthApps #ElderlyCare #SeniorWellness #mySeniorCareHub
#SeniorLiving #EmergencyAlert

🌍📱 The #HealthcareMobileApp market is transforming patient care! 🚀 Innovations in #HealthTech drive better outcomes, from telemedicine to fitness apps. 💡📊 #DigitalHealth #mHealth #Telehealth #HealthApps #MedTech #HealthInnovation #MobileHealth Visit: shorturl.at/MdamY

Tracked Physical Activity Levels Before and After a Change in Incentive Strategy Among UK Adults Using a Rewards App: Retrospective Quasi-Experimental Study Background: Financial incentives delivered via apps appear to be effective in encouraging physical activity. However, the literature on different incentive strategies is limited, and the question remains whether financial incentives offer a cost-effective…

JMIR Formative Res: Tracked Physical Activity Levels Before and After a Change in Incentive Strategy Among UK Adults Using a Rewards App: Retrospective Quasi-Experimental Study #PhysicalActivity #FinancialIncentives #HealthApps #WearableTechnology #FitnessIncentives