Functional Analysis and Quality Assessment of Mobile Applications for Managing Alcohol Use Disorder.
Yangmi Lee, Ji-Min Seo
PMID 42734573WHAT IT FOUND
Nineteen of 33 alcohol recovery apps scored at least 3 of 5 on a quality scale, but they rarely evaluated data, guided users, or intervened during high-risk moments.
Nurses can use these findings to help patients choose apps that track drinking and send useful alerts.
Key findings
01Nineteen of 33 apps (57.6%) scored at least 3 of 5 on the MARS objective quality subscales, with an average score of 3.10.
02The apps averaged 4.5 of 11 possible functions, and evaluate data, guide, and intervene were each present in only 2 apps (6%).
03Step Away: Alcohol Help was the only app developed based on evidence and shown effective through research.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review only covered apps available in Korean or English app stores during August to October 2023, so it may have missed apps that were not accessible in the Republic of Korea or that changed after the review. No AUD apps were available in Korean, so the results describe English language apps and may not fit Korean patients. The quality scores were made by two expert raters, not by patients or users, so real use and relapse outcomes were not tested. Download counts were available only for Android apps, and iOS download data could not be confirmed. The study analyzed 33 apps and did not report patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The work was funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea with support from the Korean government. The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat an app's acceptable quality score as proof it helps patients stop drinking. This paper rated app features and quality, not patient outcomes. Only Step Away: Alcohol Help had prior research that showed effectiveness.