Reducing concussion symptoms among teenage youth: Evaluation of a mobile health app.
Lise Worthen-Chaudhari, Jane McGonigal, Kelsey Logan and 3 others
PMID 28665690WHAT IT FOUND
Teenagers with lingering concussion symptoms who added a concussion app to standard medical care reported greater symptom relief than those who received standard medical care alone.
The study was small, not blinded, and not randomised, so the app's separate effect is uncertain.
Key findings
0114 of 20 feasibility-stage participants completed the app intervention.
02In the non-randomised comparison, app users plus standard care reported greater improvement in concussion symptoms and optimism than standard care alone.
03Depression did not improve more with the app than with standard care alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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 study was small, single-site, open label, and not randomised. The comparison group was recruited after the app group, so timing differences may matter. All participants received standard medical care, and the components of that care were not detailed, so the app's separate contribution cannot be isolated. Optimism was not listed as a primary outcome, but it was reported as improved. Depression outcomes did not show a clear advantage for the app. The app was developed and owned by for-profit companies, and authors had financial ties. The study did not include adults or youth with ADHD, so results may not apply to them.
Declared interests
Funding came from a National Institutes of Health grant. The app was developed under SuperBetter, LLC and is owned by Cherry Street Innovation, both for-profit organizations. One author founded SuperBetter, LLC and is Chief Scientific Officer of Cherry Street Innovation; another served as a pro bono science advisor. No other conflicts were reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude the app alone caused the improvement, because all participants also received standard medical care and the study was small, not blinded, and not randomised. The app's separate contribution cannot be isolated.