A better regulation is required in viral hepatitis smartphone applications

To describe the characteristics and content of the available viral hepatitis mobile applications, as well as assess the level of participation of medical professionals in their development.

A descriptive observational study was carried out in September 2013. We searched smartphone apps specifically relating to the viral hepatitis for using a keyword search with the following terms; «hepatitis», «hepatology», «hbv» and «hcv» in the Google Play Store (Android) and the Apple App Store (iOS). Data recorded included: name, platform, category, cost, user star rating, number of downloads, date the app was updated by the developer and target audience. We analysed the content of the applications, and these were then categorised based on the viral hepatitis type into three groups. We conducted an analysis in which we specifically examined the authorship in order to assess the prevalence of health professional participation in their development.

A total of 33 apps were included (from 232 that were identified), among which there were 10 duplicates. Most of these apps were uploaded under the medical category. Three had ratings less than 3.9 stars (out of 5). Only 6 apps had exceeded 1000 downloads. A total of 12 apps were aimed at health professionals, while 4 focused on patients (7 for both of them). The participation of health professionals in the development of apps was 56.6%.

Viral hepatitis apps are available for both professionals and patients; however, much of the information contained within them is often not validated. They should be certificated.