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Mental illness: Is there an app for that?
David Gratzer1, Gillian Strudwick1, Anthony Yeung2
1Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Summary
Clinicians can integrate mobile health apps into patient care by understanding their pros and cons. This guide offers practical advice for selecting effective health apps for patients.
Area of Science:
- Digital health
- Clinical informatics
- Healthcare technology
Background:
- Mobile health (mHealth) apps are increasingly prevalent in healthcare.
- Integrating these tools into clinical practice presents both opportunities and challenges.
- Guidance is needed for clinicians to effectively advise patients on app selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of using health apps in clinical settings.
- To establish practical guidelines for clinicians assisting patients with app selection.
- To review and assess the utility of popular health-related applications.
Main Methods:
- A commentary-based approach discussing the integration of health apps.
- Development of a framework with rules of thumb for app selection.
- Review of three prominent health applications based on the established guidance.
Main Results:
- Identified key advantages and disadvantages of incorporating health apps into clinical workflows.
- Proposed actionable criteria for clinicians to use when recommending apps.
- Provided a critical assessment of selected popular health apps.
Conclusions:
- Health apps offer potential benefits but require careful consideration for effective clinical integration.
- Clinicians play a vital role in guiding patients toward appropriate and beneficial health applications.
- Structured evaluation is essential for maximizing the value of mHealth tools in patient care.
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