Categorization and Analysis of Primary Care mHealth Apps Related to Breast Health and Breast Cancer: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis

被引:1
|
作者
Kanodia, Sweekrity [1 ,2 ,3 ,4 ]
Thalabard, Jean Christophe [2 ,3 ]
Lhoste, Kevin [2 ]
机构
[1] Univ Paris Cite, Inserm, Syst Engn & Evolut Dynam, Paris, France
[2] Learning Planet Inst, Paris, France
[3] Univ Paris Cite, Appl Math Lab, MAP5, UMR CNRS 8145, Paris, France
[4] Univ Paris Cite, Inserm, Syst Engn & Evolut Dynam, 8 bis Rue Charles V, F-75004 Paris, France
来源
JMIR CANCER | 2023年 / 9卷
关键词
breast cancer; breast self-examination; BSE; primary care; mobile applications; mobile apps; breast health; early diagnosis; SURVIVAL;
D O I
10.2196/42044
中图分类号
R73 [肿瘤学];
学科分类号
100214 ;
摘要
Background: Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality among women globally. The use of mobile health tools such as apps and games is increasing rapidly, even in low-and middle-income countries, to promote early diagnosis and to manage care and support of survivors and patients.Objective: The primary objective of this review was to categorize selected mobile health apps related to breast health and prevention of breast cancer, based on features such as breast self-examination (BSE) training and reminders, and to analyze their current dissemination. An ancillary objective was to highlight the limitations of existing tools and suggest ways to improve them.Methods: We defined strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, which required apps to have titles or descriptions that suggest that they were designed for the general public, and not for patients with breast cancer or health workers. Apps that focused on awareness and primary care via self-check were included, while those that focused on topics such as alternative treatments and medical news were excluded. Apps that were not specifically related to breast cancer were also excluded. Apps (in any language) that appeared in the search with keywords were included. The database consisted of apps from AppAgg and Google Play Store. Only 85 apps met the inclusion criteria. Selected apps were categorized on the basis of their alleged interactive features. Descriptive statistics were obtained, and available language options, the number of downloads, and the cost of the apps were the main parameters reviewed.Results: The selected apps were categorized on the basis of the following features: education, BSE training, reminders, and recording. Of the 85 selected apps, 72 (84.7%) focused on disseminating breast cancer information. BSE training was provided by only 47% (n=40) of the apps, and very few had reminder (n=26, 30.5%) and recording (n=11, 12.9%) features. The median number of downloads was the highest for apps with recording features (>1000 downloads) than those with education, BSE training, reminder, and recording features (>5000 downloads). Most of these apps (n=74, 83.5%) were monolingual, and around 80.3% (n=49) of these apps were in English. Almost all the apps on Google Play Store were free of charge.Conclusions: Although there exist several apps on Google Play Store to promote awareness about breast health and cancer, the usefulness of most of them appears debatable. To provide a complete breast health package to the users, such apps must have all of the following features: reminders or notifications and symptom recording and tracking. There is still an urgent need to scientifically evaluate existing apps in the target populations in order to make them more functional and user-friendly.
引用
收藏
页数:12
相关论文
共 50 条
  • [1] mHealth Apps for the Self-Management of Low Back Pain: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis
    Zhou, Tianyu
    Salman, David
    Mcgregor, Alison
    [J]. JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 2024, 12
  • [2] Quality of Physical Activity Apps: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis
    Paganini, Sarah
    Terhorst, Yannik
    Sander, Lasse Bosse
    Catic, Selma
    Balci, Sumeyye
    Kuechler, Ann-Marie
    Schultchen, Dana
    Plaumann, Katrin
    Sturmbauer, Sarah
    Kraemer, Lena Violetta
    Lin, Jiaxi
    Wurst, Ramona
    Pryss, Ruediger
    Baumeister, Harald
    Messner, Eva-Maria
    [J]. JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 2021, 9 (06):
  • [3] Mobile Health Apps Providing Information on Drugs for Adult Emergency Care: Systematic Search on App Stores and Content Analysis
    Garcia-Sanchez, Sebastian
    Somoza-Fernandez, Beatriz
    de Lorenzo-Pinto, Ana
    Ortega-Navarro, Cristina
    Herranz-Alonso, Ana
    Sanjurjo, Maria
    [J]. JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 2022, 10 (04):
  • [4] Mobile Apps for Blood Pressure Monitoring: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis
    Jamaladin, Hussein
    van de Belt, Tom H.
    Luijpers, Lianda C. H.
    de Graaff, Falco R.
    Bredie, Sebastian J. H.
    Roeleveld, Nel
    van Gelder, Marleen M. H. J.
    [J]. JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 2018, 6 (11):
  • [5] Features and Functionalities of Smartphone Apps Related to COVID-19: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis
    Collado-Borrell, Roberto
    Escudero-Vilaplana, Vicente
    Villanueva-Bueno, Cristina
    Herranz-Alonso, Ana
    Sanjurjo-Saez, Maria
    [J]. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH, 2020, 22 (08)
  • [6] User Engagement and Usability of Suicide Prevention Apps: Systematic Search in App Stores and Content Analysis
    Wilks, Chelsey R.
    Chu, Carol
    Sim, DongGun
    Lovell, Josh
    Gutierrez, Peter
    Joiner, Thomas
    Kessler, Ronald C.
    Nock, Matthew K.
    [J]. JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH, 2021, 5 (07)
  • [7] Psychoeducational Social Anxiety Mobile Apps: Systematic Search in App Stores, Content Analysis, and Evaluation
    Hammond, Trent Ernest
    Lampe, Lisa
    Campbell, Andrew
    Perisic, Steve
    Brakoulias, Vlasios
    [J]. JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 2021, 9 (09):
  • [8] Predictors of the Number of Installs in Psychiatry Smartphone Apps: Systematic Search on App Stores and Content Analysis
    Pinheiro, Mariana
    Serra, Madalena
    Pereira-Azevedo, Nuno
    [J]. JMIR MENTAL HEALTH, 2019, 6 (11):
  • [9] Need for the Development of a Specific Regulatory Framework for Evaluation of Mobile Health Apps in Peru: Systematic Search on App Stores and Content Analysis
    Rojas Mezarina, Leonardo
    Silva-Valencia, Javier
    Escobar-Agreda, Stefan
    Espinoza Herrera, Daniel Hector
    Egoavil, Miguel S.
    Maceda Kuljich, Mirko
    Inga-Berrospi, Fiorella
    Ronceros, Sergio
    [J]. JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH, 2020, 8 (07):
  • [10] Categorization of Third-Party Apps in Electronic Health Record App Marketplaces: Systematic Search and Analysis
    Ritchie, Jordon
    Welch, Brandon
    [J]. JMIR MEDICAL INFORMATICS, 2020, 8 (05)