Systematic mapping of digital health apps - A methodological proposal based on the World Health Organization

Claudia Pernencar1, Paulo Aguilar2, Inga Saboia3

  • 1ICNOVA/NOVA FCSH, Lisbon, Portugal.

Digital Health
|December 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

This study evaluated Brazilian digital health apps for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) communication. Findings show that digital health interventions need local adaptation for effective use.

Area of Science:

  • Health Informatics
  • Digital Health
  • Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

  • Brazil emerged as a major epicenter for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
  • A research group in Ceará, Brazil, was tasked with creating a communication channel for healthcare professionals and COVID-19 patient families.
  • This article details a portion of that project, focusing on app evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess existing Brazilian digital health applications related to COVID-19.
  • To understand how these apps meet user needs and support the COVID-19 context.
  • To provide insights for future digital health product development in healthcare.

Main Methods:

  • User-centered design principles focusing on user experience.
  • Benchmarking analysis of Brazilian COVID-19 related applications.
  • Systematic research process involving identification, classification, screening, and analysis by a multidisciplinary team.
  • Evaluation based on World Health Organization (WHO) digital health guidelines and the System Usability Scale (SUS).

Main Results:

  • A comprehensive overview of available apps and their features within the COVID-19 context was compiled.
  • Analysis revealed how industry applications addressed user needs.
  • Features were categorized according to WHO digital health interventions, and user experiences were analyzed using the SUS.

Conclusions:

  • Digital health interventions require adaptation to local contexts, as WHO guidelines are broad.
  • The System Usability Scale (SUS) is an effective tool for comparing the usability of different digital health solutions.
  • The study offers a holistic view for developing future health products applicable across various health issues.

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