Application of low-cost methodologies for mobile phone app development.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Digital Health Solutions
• Mobile Application Development

Background:

• Mobile phone and app usage is increasingly prevalent in healthcare.
• Existing app development methods pose challenges for clinicians without technical expertise.
• Previous research has not fully addressed app development costs or dissemination strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a low-cost methodology for clinicians to develop educational apps.
• To clarify development costs and dissemination strategies for these apps.
• To report initial app utilization data and user perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two established online mobile app building websites for development.
• Detailed development costs and shared app dissemination methodologies.
• Applied low-cost methods to create educational apps for medical students and trainees.

Main Results:

• The 'Mastering Psychiatry' app had 722 users; 'Déjà vu' app had 154 downloads.
• Utilization data indicated strong user receptiveness to the apps.
• Undergraduate students reported positive perceptions of the self-developed apps.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated low-cost, web-based app development methodologies for clinicians.
• Highlighted positive student and trainee receptivity to self-created mobile apps.
• Suggested the applicability and potential benefit of these methods across various disciplines.