The Features of Mobile-Based Software in Self-Management of Patients with Asthma: A Review Article

The use of mobile-based software for the self-management of patients with asthma improves the quality of life, reduces healthcare costs, provides effective health care interventions in asthma, and supports the patients in self-management. The current study was performed to identify the features of mobile-based self-management software for patients with asthma (MSSPA).

The present review study was performed in 2018. Four databases including PubMed, Scopus, Emerald, and Google Scholar were screened by the combination of selected keywords. Data were collected using a data extraction form. Data were analyzed using the content analysis method. Results were abstracted and reported based on the study objectives.

Of the 297 articles retrieved during the first round of search, 24 were selected; 15 of which were the original articles (62.5%). As the most important applications of MSSPA, it could be used as a tool to support patients in self-management, provide them with educational information, and self-observation. Also, 75% of the studies (n=18) emphasized the effectiveness of MSSPA. Identification of the required field of the software was the most important requirement in using MSSPA. Nevertheless, some of the studies reported the low quality and compatibility of some designed apps compared with those of the available information systems.

Identification of MSSPA features and considering them in new versions can promote the quality of MSSPA. However, according to the results of the study, in addition to identifying the software features, more attention should be paid to the users' needs in software design.