Smart Phone Applications as a Source of Information on Stroke

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Abstract

Background and Purpose

Smartphone applications have been increasingly identified as a novel platform for dissemination of healthcare related information. However, there have been no studies done to evaluate the availability and content of stroke related apps. Purpose: This study aims to identify and analyze stroke-related applications available on the Apple iTunes and Android Google Play Store.

Methods

The Apple iTunes store and Android Google Play Store were searched for stroke-related applications on July 27, 2013 using keywords: stroke, brain attack, intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral infarction. The content of the applications was analyzed by two independent investigators.

Results

A total of 93 relevant applications (46.2% android and 53.8% iPhone) were identified of which 47.3% were available free of cost. 92% of apps were identified as useful by users and over 60% had scientifically valid information. There is a significant participation of healthcare agencies in dissemination of stroke related information through apps with 47.3% apps being uploaded by them. Over half of all stroke related apps were aimed towards health care workers (51.6%), 75% of which could be utilized as bedside tools for patient care and remainder had information related to recent research advances. The difference in scientific validity between the apps aimed at general population versus healthcare professionals was statistically significant ( P<0.01). There was no statistical association between cost of app and scientific validity or usefulness.

Conclusions

Smartphone apps are a significant source of information related to stroke. An increasing participation of healthcare agencies should be encouraged to promote dissemination of scientifically valid information.

Related collections

Most cited references 17

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Smartphone applications for pain management.

Christopher Eccleston, B R Simon Rosser (2010)

Smartphone applications (or apps) are becoming increasingly popular. The lack of regulation or guidance for health-related apps means that the validity and reliability of their content is unknown. We have conducted a review of available apps relating to the generic condition of pain. The official application stores for five major smartphone platforms were searched: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Nokia/Symbian and Windows Mobile. Apps were included if they reported a focus on pain education, management or relief, and were not solely aimed at health-care professionals (HCPs). A total of 111 apps met the inclusion criteria. The majority of apps reviewed claimed some information provision or electronic manual component. Diary tracking of pain variables was also a common feature. There was a low level of stated HCP involvement in app development and content. Despite an increasing number of apps being released, the frequency of HCP involvement is not increasing. Pain apps appear to be able to promise pain relief without any concern for the effectiveness of the product, or for possible adverse effects of product use. In a population often desperate for a solution to distressing and debilitating pain conditions, there is considerable risk of individuals being misled.

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Smartphone app use among medical providers in ACGME training programs.

Timothy F Tirrell, Orrin I Franko (2012)

The past decade has witnessed the advent of the smartphone, a device armed with computing power, mobility and downloadable "apps," that has become commonplace within the medical field as both a personal and professional tool. The popularity of medically-related apps suggests that physicians use mobile technology to assist with clinical decision making, yet usage patterns have never been quantified. A digital survey examining smartphone and associated app usage was administered via email to all ACGME training programs. Data regarding respondent specialty, level of training, use of smartphones, use of smartphone apps, desired apps, and commonly used apps were collected and analyzed. Greater than 85% of respondents used a smartphone, of which the iPhone was the most popular (56%). Over half of the respondents reported using apps in their clinical practice; the most commonly used app types were drug guides (79%), medical calculators (18%), coding and billing apps (4%) and pregnancy wheels (4%). The most frequently requested app types were textbook/reference materials (average response: 55%), classification/treatment algorithms (46%) and general medical knowledge (43%). The clinical use of smartphones and apps will likely continue to increase, and we have demonstrated an absence of high-quality and popular apps despite a strong desire among physicians and trainees. This information should be used to guide the development of future healthcare delivery systems; expanded app functionality is almost certain but reliability and ease of use will likely remain major factors in determining the successful integration of apps into clinical practice.

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Smartphone apps as a source of cancer information: changing trends in health information-seeking behavior.

Ambarish Pandey, Sayeedul Hasan, Divyanshu Dubey … (2013)

There is an increased interest in smartphone applications as a tool for delivery of health-care information. There have been no studies which evaluated the availability and content of cancer-related smartphone applications. This study aims to identify and analyze cancer-related applications available on the Apple iTunes platform. The Apple iTunes store was searched for cancer-related smartphone applications on July 29, 2011. The content of the applications was analyzed for cost, type of information, validity, and involvement of health-care agencies. A total of 77 relevant applications were identified. There were 24.6 % apps uploaded by health-care agencies, and 36 % of the apps were aimed at health-care workers. Among the apps, 55.8 % provided scientifically validated data. The difference in scientific validity between the apps aimed at general population versus health-care professionals was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Seventy-nine percent of the apps uploaded by health-care agencies were found to be backed by scientific data. There is lack of cancer-related applications with scientifically backed data. There is a need to improve the accountability and reliability of cancer-related smartphone applications and encourage participation by health-care agencies to ensure patient safety.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): J Stroke

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): J Stroke

Journal ID (publisher-id): JOS

Title: Journal of Stroke

Publisher: Korean Stroke Society

ISSN (Print): 2287-6391

ISSN (Electronic): 2287-6405

Publication date (Print): May 2014

Publication date (Electronic): 30 May 2014

Volume: 16

Issue: 2

Pages: 86-90

Affiliations

[a ]University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.

[b ]University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

[c ]Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.

[d ]Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India.

[e ]Devchaya Medical Center, Jabalpur, India.

Author notes

Correspondence: Divyanshu Dubey. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5253 Harry Hines Blvd. Dallas, Texas 75235, USA. Tel: +1-(214)2839782, divyanshudubey87@ 123456gmail.com

Article

DOI: 10.5853/jos.2014.16.2.86

PMC ID: 4060267

PubMed ID: 24949314

SO-VID: 5ccc3c60-c86b-474d-a0b7-3653f10ff37a

License:

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

History

Date received : 15 March 2014

Date revision received : 03 May 2014

Date accepted : 08 May 2014

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Smart Phone Applications as a Source of Information on Stroke

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Abstract

Background and Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Related collections

Stroke MRI

Most cited references 17

Smartphone applications for pain management.

Smartphone app use among medical providers in ACGME training programs.

Smartphone apps as a source of cancer information: changing trends in health information-seeking behavior.

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Cited by 23

Most referenced authors 95