[Effectiveness of lifestyle apps not yet proven]

In a systematic review in the Dutch Journal of Medicine (NTvG), Dallinga et al. look for an answer to the societally relevant question of whether mobile apps are proven to lead to a more active and healthy lifestyle. Decision makers in healthcare have high expectations of eHealth, a field where scientific evidence sometimes seems overruled merely by the opinions of self-declared 'futurists'. Commonly, eHealth is propelled forward as the solution to the lack of manpower in healthcare, given the expected rise of chronic disease. However, an earlier analysis of 108 systematic reviews on the impact of eHealth technologies shows that a plethora of claims are not supported by sound evidence. It is therefore worthwhile to assess the current evidence for the effectiveness of health apps on exercise and healthy nutrition.