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Evaluating and rating HIV/AIDS mobile apps using the feature-based application rating method and mobile app rating
Ahmad Raeesi1,2, Reza Khajouei3, Leila Ahmadian4
1Student Research Committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making
|October 31, 2022
Summary
HIV/AIDS mobile apps in Iran were rated as acceptable using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and Feature-based Application Rating Method (FARM). Using multiple tools like FARM offers better insights for selecting quality health apps.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Mobile Health Applications
- Health Informatics
Background:
- HIV/AIDS mobile applications are increasingly used for health management.
- Evaluating the quality and features of these apps is crucial for user adoption and effectiveness.
- Existing evaluation tools may not fully capture the nuances of health application features.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate HIV/AIDS mobile applications available in Iran.
- To assess app quality using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).
- To rate specific app features using the newly developed Feature-based Application Rating Method (FARM).
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of HIV/AIDS apps on Cafe Bazaar and Google Play Store in Iran.
- Application evaluation using the MARS tool for overall quality assessment.
- Feature-specific rating using the FARM tool, developed for this study.
Main Results:
- 79 HIV/AIDS mobile applications were included in the study.
- The overall mean quality score (MARS) was 3.14/5, and the mean feature score (FARM) was 3.81/5.
- A moderate positive correlation (r > 0.4) was found between MARS and FARM scores, indicating tool compatibility.
Conclusions:
- HIV/AIDS mobile applications in Iran achieved an 'acceptable' quality ranking.
- Employing multiple evaluation tools, such as MARS and FARM, provides a more comprehensive assessment than single-tool approaches.
- The FARM tool is recommended for ranking mobile health apps based on specific features to aid user selection and improve app quality.
