Examining Diabetes Management Apps Recommended From a Google Search: Content Analysis

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Mobile Health (mHealth)
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Over 300,000 health apps exist, with diabetes being a common focus.
• Most health apps lack government regulation and selection guidelines.
• Patients often rely on internet searches for diabetes app recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and characterize diabetes management apps found via Google search.
• To evaluate features supporting diabetes self-management in recommended apps.

Main Methods:

• Searched Google for "best diabetes apps 2017" and analyzed the top 4 results (web articles).
• Extracted app information from articles and app stores.
• Assessed apps for medication, blood glucose, physical activity, diet, and weight management features.

Main Results:

• 26 apps were recommended across 4 articles, with significant variation in features.
• Two-thirds offered blood glucose management; less than half included medication management.
• Nutrition/diet (79%) and physical activity tracking (58%) were the most common features.

Conclusions:

• Variability and ambiguity in app features complicate patient selection of diabetes management tools.
• Defining essential features for diabetes apps requires input from patients, clinicians, and policymakers.
• Findings can inform the development and recommendation of apps for other chronic conditions.