356 Usability, acceptability, and future opportunities of mobile health (mHealth) apps for caregiver health decision making: A scoping review

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: This study aims to evaluate common features of mobile health (mHealth) apps and their role in helping caregivers make health decisions for children. Methods/Study Population: A scoping review of literature on caregivers’ use of mHealth apps (published since 2008) was conducted across 5 databases (i.e., Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Clinicaltrials.gov, and IEEE Xplore). Selected papers were categorized based on app purposes, target users, and mHealth agile development phases. Common features were also identified and analyzed along with users’ pros and cons. Further, primary feature requests were summarized to inform future development. Results/Anticipated Results: This review included 62 studies. Most apps were about maternity and infant care and specific diseases. Major users were caregivers and pregnant women. Around 20% of papers covered multiple phases in the mHealth agile development lifecycle. The effectiveness/clinical trial (phase III) was the most common. E-learning, personalization and customization, and health tracking features were the three most common features of mHealth apps included in this review. More positive feedback was found regarding features than concerns. Caregivers perceived apps as helpful and empowered them to make informed decisions. Concerns were mainly over 1) technical issues, 2) inappropriate design, and 3) ambiguous terms. Requested new features included content comprehensiveness, user engagement, and usage flexibility. Discussion/Significance of Impact: To our knowledge, this is the first review to investigate the usability of mHealth app features in this area. The results offer feasible strategies for developers to improve the effectiveness of apps for caregiver decision-making.