A systematic evaluation of primary headache management apps leveraging behavior change techniques

Area of Science:

• Digital health
• Behavioral science
• Mobile health interventions

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) apps can improve adherence to headache management strategies.
• Evidence-based behavior change techniques (BCTs) are crucial for effective app-based interventions.
• The integration of BCTs in existing headache management apps is not well-understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the content and quality of commercially available headache management apps.
• To determine the extent to which these apps incorporate BCTs for headache management.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store identified 55 headache apps.
• Apps were evaluated using the established taxonomy of behavior change techniques.
• App quality was assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).

Main Results:

• Headache management apps included a mean of 5.89 overall BCTs and 4.29 headache-specific BCTs.
• App quality scores ranged from 2.84 to 4.67, with an average of 3.73 out of 5.00.
• Migraine Trainer, Easeday: Headache & Migraine, and PainScale demonstrated the highest number of BCTs and good quality.

Conclusions:

• Most current headache apps integrate evidence-based BCTs, primarily focusing on self-monitoring and stress management.
• Further randomized controlled trials are needed to establish the efficacy of individual apps.
• Patient needs should guide the selection of headache management apps.