[Mobile applications to improve drug adherence: Review and quality analysis]

To review the mobile apps in the Spanish market to improve adherence to medications and evaluate their characteristics and quality to identify high-quality applications.

A review was carried out following a stepwise procedure similar to a systematic review of the scientific literature. Apple Apps Store and Google Play Store mobile application digital distribution platforms. Applications aimed at supporting self-management of treatment, which generate reminders, in Spanish, updated in the last 2 years and free. We evaluate the applications according to a set of characteristics considered desirable and the quality with the Mobile App Rating Scale tool.

Out of 708 applications, 3 applications were selected. The Medisafe and Mytherapy applications had 89% and 78% of the desirable characteristics, respectively. Sergio Licea's application only had 56%. The highest global quality score was obtained by the MyTherapy application (3.79/5, IQR: 3-4), followed by Medisafe (3.72/5, (IQR: 3-4) and, finally, Sergio Licea (2.87/5, IQR: 2-4). The quality assessment coincides with the user assessment. There are many available applications, however, most did not meet the selection criteria.

A systematic stepwise process was able to identify the quality application to be tested in a future study that will provide evidence on the use of a multicomponent intervention to improve medication adherence.