Benchmarking mobile applications for the health of people with Diabetes Mellitus.
Rafael Oliveira Pitta Lopes, Sara Rodrigues Chagas, Eduardo da Silva Gomes and 3 others
PMID 38985044WHAT IT FOUND
The apps analyzed covered glucose, medication, diet and activity, but usability scores were often only acceptable or borderline.
They did not address mental health, sexual health or disability needs, and the study did not test diabetes outcomes.
Key findings
01The final sample analyzed was 71 apps.
02The most common themes were blood glucose management (55; 77.4%), diet (41; 57.7%), and oral or insulin drug therapy (39; 54.9%).
03Two apps scored 85 or above, 34 scored 68-84, 29 scored 50-67, and six scored below 50 on usability.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Paid apps, apps requiring specific resources, and apps needing developer authorization were not included. The researchers did not assess whether the app content was medically reliable or met certification standards. Download counts may not reflect actual use. Usability was rated by two researchers, not by patients. The study did not measure patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The article states there were no commercial, professional or other conflicts of interest. The metadata lists non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read acceptable usability as evidence that an app improves diabetes control. This paper mapped apps and rated researcher usability; it did not measure patient outcomes.