What are we trying to do?

Many health-related apps exist, available to be downloaded and used on mobile phones or via the internet. Since 2011, researchers have been carrying out systematic reviews of commercial and publicly available apps (app reviews) for health conditions. For example, there are reviews of apps that help patients manage diabetes. There are more than 738 published app reviews, 67% of which were published in the last six years. These evaluate the quality and functions of different apps and can influence the development of new apps, help improve existing apps, inform patients, and be used by decision-makers to make judgements on which apps are suitable for clinical practice or evaluation research.

 

There is currently no guidance to help researchers report app reviews. Many researchers have, therefore, been using guidance for systematic literature reviews (e.g., PRISMA). This is because the search and screening process for both types of reviews is similar. However, the guidance for systematic literature reviews does not address all factors relevant to apps so important information is not reported. For example, readers must know where apps were identified (country/marketplace) and which version was reviewed, as developers may update apps. Not reporting this information may make reviews less useful and misleading.

 

We are conducting a programme of work to standardise the conduct and reporting of systematic mHealth app reviews. As part of this, we are developing a new guideline called CAPPRRI- Consensus for APP Review Reporting Items.

 

 

Why is this important?

This work is important in making sure that app reviews are thorough, transparent, and useful for all stakeholders. It will also provide guidance for the conduct and reporting of app reviews which can support researchers new to this type of review. Transparent reviews can:

 

• Guide users and healthcare providers towards reliable, high-quality and effective options.
• Influence the development of new apps and improve existing ones.
• Inform evaluation research.

 

 

How ae we doing it?

We have started with a discussion of the methodological considerations and a scoping review of published mHealth app reviews. The scoping review will explore the quality of the reporting and help us make a list of important information (items) that should be reported in future reviews.

 

Next, we plan to conduct a Delphi study and a consensus meeting with app review authors and journal editors to decide on the final list of items. The output will be the CAPPRRI guidance which will provide information an author will need to report an app review, including a checklist, flow diagram, and a document to elaborate on its use.

 

 

Who are we working with?

The team is led by Dr Norina Gasteiger, Professor Dawn Dowding (University of Manchester) and Dr Gill Norman (Newcastle University).

 

Our team also includes:

• Dr Charlotte Eost-Telling,
• Dr Lisa McGarrigle,
• Dr Sabine N van der Veer,
• Syed Mustafa Ali,
• Debra Jones,
• Dr Claire Ford,
• Dr Alex Hall,
• Amy Vercell,
• Professor Rebecca Grainger,
• Dr Alan Davies,
• Professor Matthew Byerly,
• Dr Kate Law,
• Dr Chunhu Shi,
• Deborah Paripoorani,
• Eric Lowndes,
• Ashgan Mahyoub,
• Amber McAvoy
• Beatrice Namu

 

The core research group is based at the University of Manchester. The wider team includes four patient and public contributors and an international advisory group. This group includes a software developer, an evidence synthesis expert and researchers and healthcare professionals (nurse, rheumatologist and psychiatrist) working in the NHS (UK), New Zealand and the United States of America.

 

 

What have we achieved so far?

We have published the article on the methodological considerations for this type of review. The paper was downloaded over 1600 times in the two months following publication. It has already influenced the conduct of new mHealth app reviews: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/6/e073283.long

 

Our guideline has been formally recognised as under development by the EQUATOR Network: https://www.equator-network.org/library/reporting-guidelines-under-development/reporting-guidelines-under-development-for-systematic-reviews/#APP

 

The protocol for our scoping review has been registered (https://osf.io/5ahjx) and has been published in BMJ Open: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/7/e083364

 

 

More information:

 

 

Programme Manager

 

Dr Ross Atkinson

ross.atkinson@manchester.ac.uk